Radar
by soleilthesun8994
Summary: 17 year olds Kwon Yuri and Choi Minho are in a relationship. But what happens when Choi Minho's father gets a little too close too Yuri?
1. Chapter 1

Just 5 years ago, nobody could forget it. That was the cold winter night of 2006. The curtains were closed, the doors were locked, the house was dark and cold. Faint cries, high pitched screams, muffled sounds to follow. And then there was silence. Silence enveloped the dark room. The winds blew strongly as a dark shadow emerged from the peach house. Nobody was able to identify who the shadow was but they were certain of the intruder's actions.

It's been 5 years since that incident. Nobody spoke up about it. It was left hanging in the air, scaring the mighty shit out of mothers with very young daughter and teenage girls in their houses. The scare lasted for a good 2 years.

Fast forward to the present time, everything is back to normal in the city of Seoul. The incident was never followed and that allowed peace to reign over the country. But we shall focus on a particular subdivision.

The same subdivision where the crime happened.

In that peaceful subdivision lived a middle aged man and his 17 year old son. Martin Yoon and Choi Minho. Choi Minho was adopted by Martin when he was 3 years old and he lived with him ever since. That's why their surnames aren't the same. Minho and his father had a good relationship. They seldom fought, mainly because Minho was a good and helpful son who never ceased to obey his father's rules. Martin wasn't very strict with Minho, though. He knew Minho was a responsible young man. Minho loved his father dearly though Martin wasn't his biological father. The merefact that Martin adopted and cared for Minho for 3 years was proof enough that Martin really loved his son.

Minho had a mother. No, she didn't die. Martin was separated from his wife. His wife helped him care for Minho but since they separated just recently, Minho decided to just stay with Martin. It wasn't that Jane-Martin's wife-didn't care for Minho, neither was it that he didn't love her, it was just that Minho felt more comfortable with his father. Though separated, Jane often visited them to talk to her son.

Martin was a decent man. A decent family man, at that. He worked a decent job as a shop owner and earned big from it. His son studied at a decent school and was intelligent beyond words, surpassing every level with flying colors. Martin had many friends in the neighborhood and had colleagues and co-workers who respected him. He was hardworking and dedicated to his profession of entrepreneurship. From the looks of Martin, whose face was homely and fatherly, who would think that he was a…

Nevermind.

The trees danced gracefully. The flowers swayed with the breeze and the leaves circled, whooshing on the ground. A windy afternoon, perfect weather for going out and enjoying the cool winds. In Minho's case, he was spending that afternoon with a beautiful girl named Kwon Yuri who lived a few steps away from his house. Yuri had long black hair which blew in the breeze, smooth skin that was somewhere in between honey and caramel, slightly wide eyes which were different from the eyes of the typical girls around the neighborhood, a slim built and a beautiful figure. At only 17, how could someone look this good?

"So what do you want to do today?" asked Minho.

"Not much. Just sit here and chill with you." Yuri answered. She looked around the serene garden which sounded of nothing but the breeze and saw Martin Yoon looking at them. "Is that your dad?" she pointed at the window. Minho looked back and saw his father watching them, Yuri in particular. He cocked his head to the side and nodded.

"Yeah. He's my dad alright."

"Oh." Yuri noticed Martin moving away from the window and towards the door. She knew he was coming out…and he did! Martin walked to them, not taking his eyes off Yuri. He stood next to the couple and asked,

"Minho, who is this?" Minho and Yuri stood up and dusted themselves.

"This is my girlfriend, Kwon Yuri. She lives in that house over there." Minho pointed southeast to the peach house where Yuri lived. Yuri looked at Martin Yoon and smiled at him. She had a good feeling that Martin was a nice man and would welcome him into his home.

"Hello." she said.

"Hello Yuri." Martin looked at Yuri from crown to sole. Her beautiful eyes seemed to be looking right through him, through his soul.

"Hello Mr. Choi." Yuri said. Martin chuckled and arched his eyebrow at the mention of 'Mr. Choi.'

"My dear, I'm Martin Yoon. Not Choi."

"Oh." Yuri said with adorable doe eyes. This attracted Martin to her even more. "Oh…I'm sorry." Yuri looked at Minho with a face that asked why he never told her about his father. Minho replied with a look that said it was deeply personal.

"That's alright my dear. I wonder why Minho never told you about it." A brief silence enveloped them until Martin spoke up once more. "Why don't you come over and stay for dinner, so I can get to know you better. Isn't that right, Minho?" he looked at his son. Minho looked up and nodded.

"Right. Stay for dinner. Dad would love to get to know you." Yuri smiled slightly and nodded.

"I'm gonna have to ask my auntie first." she replied.

"No. You don't have to. We got you covered, Yuri." smiled Martin. Yuri's smile faded and turned into a pokerface. Minho sensed that his father was making her uncomfortable.

"Why don't we go in and have some dinner? Shall we?" Minho asked. He stood up and helped his girlfriend up, noticing his father's frequent glances at Yuri. He held her hand and led her to their house. Minho let his girlfriend walk behind him to avoid awkward stares from his father.

"Alright! Here we are." Martin opened the door to their house and let the two young lovers in. Martin held the door for them and since Yuri was trailing behind, Martin couldn't help but stare at Yuri's slim figure. It made him all googly eyed and he just looked on. Minho didn't notice his father's eyes so Martin had the advantage of staring longer.

The dining table was all set. Martin Yoon was very much into Oriental cuisine so he whipped up a Chinese-Korean dinner for them. It consisted of rice cakes, dimsum, noodles, rice and everything oriental. Yuri wasn't much into eating so she took very small amounts of food which delighted Martin. It only deepened his interest in the young girl.

"So please tell me about yourself, Yuri." he started. Yuri carefully removed the spoon from her mouth and gently wiped the corners of her lips with a napkin. Minho cocked his head to the side and analyzed his father's eyes.

"My name is Kwon Yuri. I'm 17 years old. I live a few steps away from here, just in the peach house next to the corner street. I live with my aunt. My parents passed away due to an accident so I've been living with my aunt since I was three. I study during the day and work at night but only on Fridays and Saturdays." Yuri explained.

"And you work as a what?"

"I work as a…singer." there was a hint of hesitation in Yuri's tone. She was trying to hold the words back, like she was ashamed of her profession. Martin's eyes only grew with wonder as he tilted his head back. His appetite was gone and the only thing he yearned for was more information from Yuri. Yuri clasped her hands and put them on her lap, deciding that she was done eating. She looked down a bit and let a few strands of hair fall on her face.

"Oh. Where do you sing?"

"Uhm…" Yuri found it hard to answer this. "I sing at diners sometimes."

"Is singing your only job?" asked Martin.

"No. I also work as a waitress. I really need to earn money because my aunt is 69 years old and is starting to get really weak. She financially sustains us but there are times when she just can't work anymore, that's why I work for the two of us." she said humbly.

"I see. Do you earn enough?"

"Enough? Not so. But I continue to strive." Yuri said. Martin smiled at her and stopped the questions as his son was already looking at him, his way of saying 'stop'. Yuri looked at him and smiled back.

"Why don't you eat some more?" he cajoled. Yuri smiled and waved her hand, declining his offer.

"No thank you. I'm full." she replied. Yuri looked at the clock and saw that it was 6:30 pm. "I have to go home." she said. "My aunt's probably worried."

"You can stay for a while. Your house is just near." said Martin.

"Dad, I think she really needs to go." Minho interrupted, noticing the rising awkwardness of the situation.

"Let your girlfriend stay, wouldn't you like some time with her?"

"Dad. I'm starting to notice something." Minho said in between gritted teeth so that Yuri wouldn't hear.

"Okay, okay. Get her home now. But be sure she gets there…" Martin said. _"Or I'm gonna get you!"_

Minho led Yuri out the door and together they walked to Yuri's place. The street wasn't well lit so Minho made it a point to hold Yuri's hand really tightly.

"Sorry for the really awkward atmosphere there. My dad really likes to ask a lot of questions, especially to girls." Minho apologized. "I hope you won't hate me for this."

"Why would I hate you?" asked Yuri.

"Because my dad's a real weirdo. He's been like that since mom left us." Minho explained.

"When do I get to meet your mom?" Yuri asked.

"I don't know. Probably never."

"Why not? Don't you want your mom to know me?"

"You wouldn't wanna, I promise." Minho chuckled.

"Still." Yuri maintained.

"Still. We're here at your doorstep. Still."

"Oh. I didn't notice."

"Anyways, you have a good night. Study hard, work harder. Care for your auntie, okay. She's all you've got." Minho held her hands on their porch.

"Hey! I have you!"

"Of course you do! Now goodnight! And try not to think about the awkwardness of this evening, okay? I love you!" MInho kissed her forehead and let her go, watching her enter the house. Yuri peered and waved goodbye.

[AT THE CHOI/YOON RESIDENCE]

Martin and Minho were watching TV and the whole time, all Martin could talk about was Yuri. How she looked, how she smelled, the way she ate. He was practically obsessed with her.

"Dad, it's the billionth time you've mentioned Yuri. Can we talk about something else?" Minho asked.

"Aren't you proud of your girlfriend? You should be quite happy that your father actually likes your girlfriend. Other dads…"

"I know, dad. But she's not my first girlfriend, remember. I've had girlfriends before and whenever I brought them here you never talked about them the way you're talking about Yuri now. What is it about Yuri that you like so much?"

"Do you see it as a bad thing?" Martin asked, defending the developing feelings he was feeling inside.

"I don't see you liking my girlfriend as a bad thing. What I see as a bad thing is you're talking about her way too much. For the past 4 hours since she left, it's been nothing but Yuri, Yuri, Yuri." Minho explained.

"Son, I'm just glad that you found an ideal partner." he said. "For you."

"How did you know she's ideal? Do you even know if we'll be together?" Martin was taken aback at his son's lack of commitment.

"_What the hell did my son just say? Do you even know if we'll be together? Watch your words, my boy because if you don't take care of the young piece of woman, I will show you what being a man is like. Be careful, Minho. If you let her go, your father will make his move and you might find yourself calling Yuri your mommy._" Martin thought.

"Son, please. Just take it easy. I'm just appreciating your taste. You now have good taste in women, let's just end it at that." It made Minho feel even more awkard. He rolled his eyes and just focused on the TV show that he was watching with his dad.

Later that night, as Minho was about to go to sleep, Martin stood by the window drinking a cup of coffee.

"Dad, why are you still up? You're supposed to be sleeping now! Don't stress yourself out again!"

"I'm not stressing myself, Minho." revealed the businessman. "I'm actually feeling light."

"Light? Dad! Please! Just stop this nonesense. You're acting weird again. I think you're missing mom."

"I'm not missing your mother. She can do whatever she wants with her goddamn life for all I care. I'm just in a calm mood right now."

"Dad, just go to bed. It's already 12:00 mn. You have work tomorrow."

"I don't need to go to work…"

"What? Dad, what about the business?"

"I can take care of that some other time. I just want to contemplate here til morn."

Minho rolled his eyes and decided that it was time to stop wasting precious sleeping time. He headed to his room and slept. Martin, on the other hand, sat on the edge of the bed with his coffee and thought hard to himself.

"_Kwon Yuri. 17 years old, 5'5" mocha skinned, slim figure. Very beautiful. My son has never had a girlfriend that lovely. She's so captivating. Her demure and meek nature is so attractive that all the other girlfriends my son brought to this house pale in comparison. Her beauty is so enticing I just want her to be mine…I must not think this way. She's a young girl, for God's sake. A beautiful, sexually attractive young girl. Her long legs…the way she walked in and out of this house and the way she crossed them while eating. The way she dressed. The way she smelled. The way her raven black her beautifull fell right in front of her face…Kwon Yuri…that's a name I'll always remember…" _Martin was fickle minded about this. He'd tell himself that Yuri was his son's girlfriend and that they should enjoy their relationship but at the same time, he told himself that Yuri should be his.

"_A singer? Must have a really good voice. I need to find out more about this Yuri."_ he said.

Martin fell asleep with Yuri on his mind.


	2. Chapter 2

Martin Yoon woke up at around 4:30 am, feeling the highest he had felt in years. Matter of fact, the last time he felt that high was after he got married to his ex-wife, Minho's mother. Martin went to the kitchen and made himself another cup of coffee. He sat at the dining table and thought to himself, how was he going to get to know Yuri better?

He felt young again. He felt like he was 20 years old chasing after a young maiden of 17. Meeting her only sparked his interest in her and knowing that she lived a few steps away from them aroused his mind. Martin felt alive like feeling in love for the first time. But he knew it wasn't love. He was 45 years old, for crying out loud! He was old enough to know the difference between infatuation and true love and he knew for sure that what he was feeling for Yuri wasn't anything close to the love he had for Jane. But compared to when he first saw Jane to right now, he'd say his feelings for Yuri were stronger. He had never seen a lady with beauty as striking as Yuri's.

Minho got up at around 6:30 am and headed to the shower. After getting ready for school, he grabbed his things and went to the kitchen for some breakfast and was greeted by his father, still in his sleepwear sipping coffee.

"Dad! You're gonna be late! What the heck?" Minho grabbed the cereal box and poured himself a bowl of cereals.

"I told you, son. I'm not going to work today."

"Dad what the hell?" Martin looked at his son with a frustrated look on his face.

"What is your problem?"

"Dad. You are not going to work. Why?"

"Because I don't want to, okay? Now sit here and eat your breakfast or leave!" his father was unusually crabby. Martin wasn't like this to Minho so it came to the young man as a shock.

"I don't know dad. You're acting really strange."

"It's just your brain that's strange."

Minho sighed and ate his cereals. After breakfast, he got up annoyed and went outside the house, refusing to bid his father goodbye.

Yuri studied at the same school but she wasn't a regular student. Because of her work and her aunt's health condition, she couldn't afford to go to school on a regular basis. Today was just one of those days wherein she had to put on a waitress' uniform instead of her school uniform so she could go to Jin's Eats to wait tables, sling dishes, and clean up after the customers. Welcome to Kwon Yuri's life.

On the way to school, Minho felt his phone vibrating. Yuri was calling him!

"Hello?"

"Hello Minho, I'm not going to school today. I have to go to the diner and work."

"Oh. Okay. I'll pick you up later?"

"Sure. Be there at around 5:00 pm. My shift ends at 5."

"Okie dokie. See you. I love you."

"I love you, too." they hung up and Minho got on the bus to school.

For some reason, Martin found himself staring right outside the window towards the direction of Yuri's house. She mentioned that she lived in a peach house right across their house. Since their house was the only peach house near the corner, if not the only peach house on that street, stalking Yuri was easy for Martin. He just waited for her to come out of her house in her school uniform. Much to Martin's dismay, she didn't. So he closed the curtains and walked around the house, made hyper because of all the coffee he drank. He'd peek out the window from time to time to check if Yuri would come out. She didn't come out until 9:00 am. That's when Martin heard high heels clacking down the pavement of the sidewalk. He peered out the window and saw Yuri in a light blue waitress uniform and light blue pumps walking with a bag on her shoulder. Martin wondered, why was it that instead of a school uniform on a fine Wednesday morning, Yuri was in a waitress' get up. He then remembered what she said about studying and working. Yuri passed by their house and Martin saw her stop for a while.

"_Now's my chance!"_ he said to himself. He rushed to the door to open it but too late. Yuri had already walked past their house. Not wanting to give up, Martin rushed out of the house and called Yuri.

"Yuri! Yuri!" Yuri stopped in her tracks and whipped around. She saw Martin standing on their porch. Martin walked to Yuri who was standing as still as a mannequin. Oh to him, she was a living mannequin.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"I'm going to work"

"You should be at school today. You said only worked on Fridays and Saturdays."

"Yeah but I really need money right now. We need money. So I'm gonna have to work extra.

"Where's your working place?" Martin asked. Yuri didn't feel the least bit suspicious but she sure felt weird.

"I worka t Jin's Eats. It's a diner somewhere in the vicinity."

"Mind if I take you there. I don't want you walking all by yourself all dressed up. You don't know who could get you or what could happen." Martin warned with a hint of concern. If only Yuri knew what his intentions were.

"So you're giving me a free ride to the diner?" asked Yuri relieved. Martin nodded.

"Yes. Come with me." he led her to his car. His car was a beautiful black Mercedes Benz-a car Yuri knew she would never have.

"Your car is beautiful. I've never rode in one of these before. All we have is my beat up Cadillac."

"Well step right in and I'll take you there." Martin drove Yuri all the way to her working place which was Jin's Eats.

"Well, we're here." Yuri and Martin stepped out of the car.

"Thank you so much for the ride, Mr. Yoon-"

"Martin. Call me Martin, sweetheart."

"Martin. Thank you so much for the ride."

"No problem. Oh and by the way, since you're part of the family now, mind if I get your number?"

"Sure." Yuri said without hesitation. She didn't really suspect anything. All she thought of Martin's kindness was fatherly concern, which felt good because Yuri never knew what the feeling of having a father was like. And besides, why should she feel awkward and doubt? Martin was Minho's father and Minho was her boyfriend. Knowing this, she gave him her number with confidence and took his, too. Martin bade her goodbye and drove away in his car.

At Jin's Eats, Yuri was always as busy as a bee. It was order after order after order and she was expected to memorize all these foods on the menu and to get the orders right. Good thing Yuri was good at memorization and was a quick thinker so taking orders wasn't a problem for her. At 5'5" with a supermodel-like built, walking and balancing foods on trays was easy for Yuri. At only 17 years old, she was the restaurant's most valued waitress because of the quality of her job and the determination she had. Though she didn't earn that much from waiting tables, she worked herself out to the bone and held on to that job like it was the only occupation left for her in the world.

During her break, she stopped to get some juice when her phone rang. It surprised her because when she checked the clock, it was only 11:00 am and it couldn't be Minho. Minho was in class and was therefore not allowed to use his phone. Her other friends couldn't be calling because they were also in their respective classes. So who could this be? Yuri hurriedly grabbed her phone before the number gets listed on the missed calls.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Yuri. This is Martin. How are you?" Yuri's heart skipped at beat. Martin? Why? Why did he call?

"Martin. Sir…I'm fine." Yuri said with fear and respect for her boyfriend's father.

"That's good. Are you having a hard time now?"

"No. I'm just fine. Why did you call?"

"Minho just wanted me to check on you." Martin lied. It wasn't Minho. It was him. He just wanted to hear from the young girl he was starting to like.

"Oh. Okay. That's very…sweet. Please thank him on my behalf, sir. Thank you."

"Say I'll pick you up later, alright? I want you get home safely." Martin said.

"Minho will pick me up."

"I told him not to." Martin said. "Because you're having dinner at our house tonight."

"But I will not eat dinner there…I will eat dinner out here with Minho."

"I'll tell him to cancel it. I don't want the two of you roaming around at night. What time are you going home, tell me."

"At 5."

"5. Stay where you are I'll pick you up. Don't worry about Minho. I'll him not to pick you up."

"Okay." since Yuri was innocent, she was oblivious to Martin's intentions and being ever respectful to her elders, she always agreed with him.

The afternoon wore on and Yuri was busy all day yet she showed no signs of fatigue or haggardness. Yuri made it a point to always look neat and presentable. If there's one thing she learned from having Minho as her boyfriend, it was to always look pretty. Though she had her mindset on work, Yuri couldn't stop thinking about Martin, periodically. She still wondered why Martin called her up that morning and offered to pick her up. She still wondered why Martin even offered her a ride to the restaurant in the first place. A perverted thought was starting to creep up in her mind but she pushed it aside and thought that it was dirty to think that an older man was attracted to her. It didn't fit right. He had a son and his son was her boyfriend, it would be disrespectful to have thoughts like this.

At around 4:30, a familiar looking Mercedes Benz parked at the parking lot of Jin's Eats. It was Martin! And he was ready to pick Yuri up. Yuri was cleaning the tables and getting ready to go home as she only had 30 minutes left for her shift. As she was wiping the table next to the window clean, she noticed the Mercedes Benz and the middle aged man in a yellow shirt and denim pants, standing with his arm resting on his Mercedes' roof. His shades were clipped on to the collar of his shirt and he watched Yuri as she cleaned the tables. Martin looked to a different direction so Yuri didn't quite recognize him and thought it was just another man. Martin, deciding that there was still 30 minutes left of her shift, wanted get even closer with her and grab some coffee, if she didn't mind serving her future "father-in-law" as he would put it. Martin entered the restaurant and approached Yuri who was busy cleaning up.

"Hello, Yuri." he tapped her on the shoulder. She spun around surprised and saw him. Her heart nearly fell as he was 30 minutes ahead of time.

"H-Hello. Why have you come?"

"I've come to pick you up but since there's still 30 minutes, how's about we get some coffee? Care to whip up two cups?" there weren't that many people around so Yuri thought it was okay to have coffee with Martin.

"Oh. Alright." Yuri walked to the kitchen and grabbed a pot of brewed coffee for her and Martin. What Martin liked about the game was Yuri was so docile and respectful to her elders that when he asked her to do something she'd do it without questioning. She wasn't a thing like Minho or the other girls Minho brought in the past.

"Here you go." Yuri came back with two cups of coffee on her tray. She set one down for Martin and one for herself. She sat on the couch adjacent to Martin's and their conversation began.

"May I ask you a question, if you don't mind?" Martin said. Yuri felt nervous and took a small sip of coffee and tried to swallow it down.

"Y-Yes?" she stammered.

"Why has Minho been acting weirdly lately? He's been really cold to me since the day I invited you to our house. Why is this so?" asked Martin.

"I-I don't…know." Yuri found it hard to answer. She felt an awkward energy envelope her and she didn't like it.

"Hmm. My son's never been like that before."

"I didn't notice any change in him." Yuri felt the band that was holding her hair up slide down so she raised her arms, removed the band and re-tied her hair. Martin hated to admit it to himself but simple things as such made his blood warm up. It disturbed him so he tried to shake it off but when he saw Yuri with her hair neatly tied up in a ponytail with two strands of hair hanging on either side, his blood's temperature began to rise and he found himself tugging on his collar often.

"Is it hot? Would you like me to ask them to lower the temperature?" asked Yuri, being very accomodating to Martin.

"No. No it's alright. I just came from outside and I'm drinking some coffee so yeah. Thanks, though." Martin tried hard to control himself but Yuri sitting right in front of him wasn't helping. In fact, it was only making the atmosphere even hotter. The coffee was of no help, either.

"Oh. Okay." Yuri checked her watch. "Minho should be around here any minute…" she mumbled to herself, hoping that this would ease the uncomfortable feeling she was feeling with Martin, hoping to make him forget that she was gonna have dinner at his place. Unfortunately, Minho heard her mumble and said,

"You're coming with me, remember? You're eating at my place tonight." Martin insisted. Yuri felt powerless and just agreed since she saw no point in talking him out of it. "Matter of fact, I think we should go now."

"But what about Minho? He might come here." Yuri insisted. Martin put his eyeglasses on and leaned closer to Yuri.

"Minho won't come. I'm telling you." Martin said.

"Are you sure? I don't want him to wait on nothing. He might come here and wait for me."

"Yuri, don't you trust me?" asked Martin out of the blue. Yuri's eyes widened and her breath sped up. She shut her eyes for a while and tried to ingest what he had just told her.

"Okay."

"You need to get home. Come on now." Martin stood up but remembered the coffee cups. "How much are these?"

"Nevermind." Yuri was in a trance. "I won't charge you for it." Martin nodded and smiled. He waited for Yuri to stand up and the whole time they were together, he couldn't get his eyes off her. The way her hair was tied up, her waitress dress that was a little above the knee, and her blue pumps that made noise whenever she walked. It attracted Martin and made him want her even more. He lied about Minho. Minho was coming to the diner to pick Yuri up but since Martin came before his son with the desire to spend more alone time with Yuri, he decided that he should be the one to pick her up. And there they were in the car, speeding off to his house.

At exactly 5:00 pm, Minho dropped by the diner to pick Yuri up. Usually, Yuri would wait for him at one of the tables, sipping a cup of coffee or tea but today was different. Minho couldn't find Yuri from outside so he decided to go in the diner and look for her. While walking, he bumped into a waiter, Yuri's co-worker.

"I'm sorry." he said.

"Oh that's alright. Say, you're looking for Yuri, am I right?"

"Yes. Have you seen her?"

"She came this morning but after 3, I never saw her again." this shot Minho straight in the heart. His exterior was calm but inside, he was going nuts. "Don't get me wrong man, maybe I was busy but last time I saw her was around 3 pm."

"Alright. Thanks man. I think she went home early." Minho left the restaurant and walked all the way to their subdivision. Since their street was the 3rd street from the entrance, it took him quite a while to reach his destination. At Yuri's house, he rang the doorbell.

"Yuri! Yuri!" he called when no one answered. _"Dammit! If she was going home early she should've called me or told me so I won't be worrying like this." _

"Yuri! It's Minho! Aunt Myung Ji!" he called Yuri's aunt. Nobody was home, he guessed. Or maybe Hwang Myung Ji was just sleeping and couldn't hear him. With no hope at her house, Minho started to worry even more. He took his phone out and called Yuri.

"Hello?" came a feminine voice from the other line.

"Yuri! Where are you?"

"I'm here in your house." Minho nearly dropped the phone in shock. What the hell was Yuri doing in his house? Who let her in? His dad was the first person to come into his mind but he thought that his father went to work though he didn't want to in the morning but he was positive that there was no one home.

"How? Wha-" Minho ran all the way from her house to his house. Once he reached their house, he hung up and rang the doorbell furiously. Inside, Martin and Yuri were sitting on the sofa, talking, waiting for Minho to come.

"The doorbell! I'll get it!" Yuri stood up and tried to answer the door but a huge shock greeted her when Martin held her hand and placed his hands on her shoulders, setting her back down to stand up and answer the door. It was his son, Minho looking more furious and worried than ever.

"Son! You're home!"

"Don't think I don't know what you did because I do!" Minho angrily said in between gritted teeth. "Come out here and shut that door. I need to talk to you!" He didn't want to flip out because his girlfriend was there and he didn't want to give her the impression that he was a hot-headed, elder-disrespecting man. As much as he didn't want to shame himself, he didn't want to humiliate his father in front of his girlfriend because he knew that his father made lots of money for their living and to embarrass him in front of someone else was just very immoral.

"What? What are you trying to imply, young man?" asked Martin, closing the door behind him.

"You picked Yuri up from the restaurant! How did you know she was there?" Minho said in between gritted teeth. He was not only angry, he was extremely humiliated. For himself and Yuri. Most of all for Yuri. He didn't want a crazy stalker-like secret admirer in the form of his father following his girlfriend around.

"Son, it was an act of fatherly love. This morning I saw her walking down the street by herself and I thought it was safe to give her a ride to the restaurant."

"And you picked her up?"

"Yes."

"Dad. Please."

"What? You want her to walk all the way home from the diner?"

"You could've at least told me or let me know that she was gonna come over." Minho ran his hand through his scruffy hair. "Next time, dad, if she's not asking for a ride home don't give her one. Okay?"

"I was only treating her like a family member."

"Well she's not a family member yet so stop stalking her like that. It makes her feel uncomfortable."

Martin refused to speak and just nodded. His son led him back into the house and since Yuri was already there, they opted to have dinner with the young girl again. This time while eating, Minho made sure Yuri was extra close to him and that his father's eyes weren't roaming again.


	3. Chapter 3

That very night, around 10:00 pm, something was going on in the village. Again. Remember the dark silhouette that attacked some 5 years ago? Well, just when the residents of that village thought the attacks had stopped, this proved them wrong. The dark silhouette walked calmly in the poorly lit area of the subdivision, choosing a house to break into. He randomly chose a blue house that was very peaceful looking and looked for an opening. The house was pretty much locked shut except for one window on the second floor-the bedroom. Sensing that the residents are asleep, he swiftly climbs the walls and once he was in, he did the thinkable.

He silenced the girl sleeping in her room by placing a cloth laced with poison over her nose, making her pass out. Once she was out, the dark silhouette proceeded to rape her and leave her unconscious. He didn't kill her, though. He only wanted the sex.

The following morning, Yuri sat up hyperventilating and with her hand on her neck. She was gasping for air as if someone had just choked her. A sigh of relief came out of her mouth when she looked around her and realized that everything was just a dream. A bad dream. Hurriedly, she got into the shower and fixed herself for school (yes she was going to school that day). With no breakfast, Yuri rushed outside of her house and walked quickly, taking several glances at the back to check if someone was following her.

"_Minho has to know about this."_ she thought. Right then and there, Minho was standing outside his house waiting for the bus. Yuri waved at him and stood at the other side of the road, waiting for him to come to her. Minho jogged to her side and as soon as he was in front of her, she threw herself at him. Minho was taken aback by her actions and pulled away.

"What's wrong? Did something happen at your house?" he asked worried.

"I had a fucking terrible dream, Minho. I don't know if I should tell you about this but it had me gasping for air this morning."

"What? Tell me what it is?"

"I dreamt of your father." Yuri blurted. Minho ran his hand through his hair and placed his hand on his forehead.

"What about?"

"It's embarrassing…"

"Tell me."

"He raped me in my dream. He had me on the floor and he was choking me while forcing me to have sex with him. Minho, it was really scary I don't want to think about it. You have no idea how paranoid it made me."

"Yuri, be careful, okay. Please just be careful. Nothing matters more to me than your safety and seeing you safe is all I want. Be careful, Yuri." Minho said.

"You riding the bus?"

"Yes. And you're riding with me." Minho took her wrist and as soon as the bus got to where they were, they hopped on and sat together. Yuri just couldn't stop thinking about her dream.

"Stop it, okay. It's gonna haunt you forever if you keep thinking about it. Just forget about it and focus on your studies." they got off the bus and headed to their classroom. Even in class, they were always together.

"You think something bad's gonna happen to me?" Yuri asked. "I mean, it could come true or it could be a premonition. What do you think?"

"Yuri, I'm here." Minho said.

"I know but your dad…"

"Yuri, it was just a dream. My dad would never do that." Deep down inside, Minho knew his father could do that to Yuri, especially now that he was being all accomodating and friendly to his girlfriend, that possibility wasn't elusive. He was just trying to calm her nerves down.

Classes wore on from morning till afternoon and there wasn't a time that Yuri didn't think about the dream she had. She stopped talking to Minho about it to avoid annoying him but it still bothered her to a certain extent.

That night, Minho had a small chat with his father with regards to Yuri but in order to avoid freakouts and bailouts from his father, he took a different route.

"Dad" Minho began. "How are you today?" Martin looked up and put the newspaper he was reading down.

"I'm fine. Thank you. How about you, son? How was school?"

"School…school was okay. Me and my friends had a great time talking." Minho grabbed a can of soda and sat next to his father.

"What about-" Minho knew what was on his father's mind so he got straight to the point. He put his soda can down and stood up, lunging forward at his father.

"Don't you dare ask about Yuri!" he remembered the dream Yuri told him about and he was afraid that it might come true. He didn't want this thing to get any worse than it is now so he stepped up to his father-like a man and told him straight to his face that he wanted this thing to end. "Stop asking about Yuri. Dad, can you just not care about Yuri."

"Why not? I mean, she's your girlfriend and-"

"You're caring too much!" he spat bluntly. "Each time I come home you ask how Yuri is and what she did and how our relationship is going. For the record dad, we're fine and we'll be even more fine if you stick your nose out of our business because honestly, it's making us feel uncomfortable."

"How is it making you feel uncomfortable? Are you saying that a father cannot show concern for his son and his son's girlfriend?"

"That's not it, dad!" Minho explained. "You're getting too personal with the questions about us. You ask too much. And you wonder about Yuri too much, I'm starting to notice that."

"Son, I think it's your mind that's dirty. I have no intentions of being anything more than a father figure to Yuri." Minho's round eyes widened even more at his father's confession.

"Dad I wasn't asking." he said calmly while in a daze. "Why did you bring that up?" Martin's defenses started to crash down as he was about to be exposed. His secret longing for his son's significant other was about to be found out about and the only way to prevent this is by giving a reasonable alibi as to why he said that.

"I just wanted to show concern for Yuri and nothing more. It seems as though you were thinking about something else."

"I was about to say, maybe you want us to stop being in a relationship. Maybe you want us to nto see each other. Maybe you don't like Yuri and you're talking her out of this relationship." Minho was actually thinking what his father was thinking and what he said was just an alibi. No, it wasn't about the breakup or the relationship. He was 90 percent convinced that his father had a crush on Yuri. He didn't need science to know that. Minho and Martin stared at each other, aware of the awkward situation they put each other in. Martin took the newspaper and shot three more glances at Minho before resuming his reading. Minho on the other hand grabbed his soda can and bag and ran all the way to his room upstairs to call Yuri up but what he wasn't expecting was that Yuri called ahead of him. He had 2 missed calls from Yuri. Minho grabbed his phone and dialled Yuri's number, hoping to talk things out with his girlfriend.

"Minho! Oh God!" came Yuri's voice from the other line. "Thank God you called I was so fucking worried."

"Yuri, what's wrong? Why did you call?"

"Minho, I have to tell you something but please don't flip out." Yuri said with a shaken voice, one that was sure to crack anytime.

"What's happening?" Yuri was about to open her mouth when the tears acted ahead. Yuri found herself sobbing on the phone. "Why are you crying? Tell me."

"My aunt's in a critical condition. Neighbors rushed her to the hospital this afternoon and now she's barely moving. She's bedridden and is on the brink of losing her life…Minho, I'm so scared…"Yuri cried.

"Don't worry. Let's just pray for your aunt. There's not much we can do about it other than pray. Yuri, calm down okay. Everything will be fine." Minho assured her though he wasn't quite sure of the situation. In this tough time, he didn't want to bring his father up again for it might further stress Yuri and he didn't want to burden her.

"Okay. But Minho, what if-"

"Don't think that way." he knew what she was going to say. That was a trait of his that she loved so much. He knew her better than she knew herself. He always knew what was on her mind before she could even say it.

"I won't. I'll just pray." Yuri wiped the tears from her eyes and blew her nose. Yuri knew her aunt didn't have long to live so not wanting to prolong Minho's agony, she hung up. Minho removed the phone from his ear and gave it a strange look, wondering why Yuri hung up all of a sudden. H ewanted to text her goodnight but thought twice about doing so, opting not to and shutting his phone off to go to bed.

Minho laid in bed with the lights out but he didn't sleep. Matter of fact, with Yuri's condition and his father's growing infatuation for his girlfriend, he couldn't sleep. He tried confronting his father about it but his father was just too defensive, insisting that it was an act of 'fatherly love' and 'concern for his girlfriend'. Martin didn't have to make those excuses up! It was obvious that he had a thing for Yuri. Ideally, parents do not want their children's significant others hanging around in their house and if one did, the same way Martin had a yearning for Yuri, then it would be considered perverse. With his hands clasped together, resting on his chest, Minho shut his eyes and said a silent prayer for his father and girlfriend. It wasn't a solemn church-like prayer. It was like talking to God and casually asking for a sign.

_God, I don__'t know what is happening to my life. It seems to be falling apart. I don't mean to exaggerate because I know You know nothing is wrong with me. It's just that, two of the people that are dear to me are troubling me. First, I cannot understand my father's condition. Second, my girlfriend is going through a very tough time and as her boyfriend, I want to do whatever it takes to make things alright for her but I just can't seem to do so. I feel so irresponsible and helpless. I don't know what to do. Please, give me a sign that everything will be alright._

_Amen…_

After the short prayer, Minho turned to his right side and checked his alarm clock.

_It__'s only 9:30 pm. I thought I slept through the night. I haven't. _Minho thought in disappointment. He tried to close his eyes and even covered his entire body with the comforter but to no avail. The things going on were just bothering him that he couldn't further stomach it. He knew he had to talk to his dad about this because if his dad makes his move on Yuri, it could traumatize her and even add more problems to her already problematic life. Wasn't it enough that Yuri was working more than studying and earning a living for herself and her aunt and now her aunt was in the hospital, severly ill and only a few seconds away from dying and Martin wanted to take advantage of Yuri-according to Minho's thinking? All these thoughts prevented him from sleeping so he decided that he wasn't going to school tomorrow, rather, he'd accompany Yuri.

_I feel that it__'s my obligation to make other people happy. Even if it means sacrificing my own pleasures and goals. _he thought to himself.

Minho stayed up all night and realized that he was about to fall asleep at around 2:00 am. From the minute he got home to 1:59 am, all Minho thought of was the problems his dad and girlfriend were causing him and how to solve them. All was decided, he was going to tell his father straight to his face tomorrow. While eating breakfast.

[SOMETIME AROUND 5:00 AM]

Minho couldn't sleep any longer. 3 hours of sleep was all a troubled man needed. Minho wanted to get this thing off his chest so it would end and he could live life normally. If it weren't for his father's perverted desire, he wouldn't be acting like a bodyguard to Yuri, always on the constant watch. He loved Yuri dearly, though but it was really getting to his nerves. He didn't like the fact that he had to protect his girlfriend from a man that was seemingly harmless. It was burdensome watching over Yuri, especially when he knew that Yuri was a grown woman and should be watching over herself but because of her fragile and innocent nature, he had to do the watching for her and it was a huge pain in the ass. So if he couldn't get Yuri to change her ways (and it wasn't like she would or could), he'd just tell his father off. Besides, it was all his father's perverted desire's fault. Not Yuri's.

That morning, Martin Yoon was busy with his computations for his business when Minho interrupted. He placed his cereal bowl on the table along with his glass of orange juice. Martin looked up and took his glasses off.

"Good morning son." he said upbeatly. Martin seemed to be in a good mood. Minho groggily placed his back pack on the chair beside his father, pulled one and sat on it. He placed his hands on the table and rested his chin on the left hand. Martin shot glances at his son and went back to computing the sales.

"Morning." Minho said sternly. Martin put his glasses back on and placed the pen down. The tone of his son's voice said a lot about his mood though Minho didn't show an angry and exasperated facial expression.

"What's wrong? You seem kind of…stern."

"Yes. I am stern. I've always been stern to you." Minho replied, not showing any hint of emotion though he really, really, really wanted to confront his father in a violent, verbal way.

"You were never stern to me. Only recently. Tell me what this is about."

"This is a very simple plea. A very simple request." Minho said with his hands together in front of his face, as if he was praying. "Please stop asking Yuri to come here. Stop stalking her. Stop thinking about her. Stop asking me about her. Remove Yuri from your memory because honestly, it's freaking her out."

"How did she know that I've been talking to you about her?"

"Dad, I tell her. She has the right to know. I tell her everything you told me." Minho replied. "And to set the record straight, I'm not bringing her here anymore."

The last statement broke Martin's heart. He wouldn't be able to see Yuri again. He wouldn't be able to smell her perfume, her shampoot. To see her legs. To see her body. To see her face and watch her smile. He knew he had to do something about it.

"Your girlfriend really feels uncomfortable?" he asked.

"Yes. Dad, you're a married…" Minho re-thought the use of the word. "You have a wife. Yes, you may be separated but you're still committed to her. To us. Are you willing to stain your dignity as a father by hitting on a younger girl? A 17 year old girl? Who just happens to be your son's girlfriend? It's pedophilic, dad. It's not right. Not to mention the fact that it's awkward how I have competition with my own dad! So I'm asking you simply. Stop talking to her, about her, inviting her. Okay? Do it for me. She's going through a rough time now. Her aunt's dying and if you're only gonna aggravate her and pass it off as 'fatherly love', then I would say you're a hypocrite! You're not making it any easier for her by harassing her like that."

Martin understood his son's point and nodded. "Alright. I won't. I'll just leave you two in your relationship but if ever-"

"If ever we need you, we'll tell you. And extend only the needed help. Nothing more, nothing less. I'm not preventing you from talking to Yuri, only for the moment because she's having a hard time." Minho pleaded. "Please, dad. Okay? I'm not angry with you. I'm just frustrated and annoyed, but not angry." Minho was deceiving himself. He knew he was smoking mad.

"Alright. You got yourself a deal." Martin said.

"Thank you dad." Minho was afraid that he had made the atmosphere very awkward so he just gathered his things and left for school. He decided not to see Yuri and to just drop by after school.

Just when Martin was sure that Minho was gone, he stood from where he sat and looked around. He saw no signs of Yuri and decided to roam around the village, just to reflect on the mini-lecture that his 17 year old son gave him. He put on his coat, as it was unbeliveably windy outside and slipped on his boots. Martin opened the door, inhaled fresh, cool air and began walking around.

_My son wants me to stay away from his girlfriend. I have to have Yuri. There__'s got to be some way that I can get to Yuri without him knowing. I remember what my son said about 'competition'. He's absolutely right. I'm actually competing with my son for his girlfriend's affections and obviously, he's winning. Minho's the one Yuri loves more. Yuri doesn't even love me, let alone see me as anything but a creepy stranger trying to get to her. I better think of a plan if I want Yuri to be mine. _

Martin walked to the direction of the east but realized that Yuri wasn't going to school that day. Instead, he diverted his attention to the left and turned around, heading that way. He wanted to pass by Yuri's house just to see if she was there. Nobody would know. Minho would definitely not know. And besides, he never said anything about not passing by her house and checking on her. Martin wasn't gonna talk to her. He wasn't even gonna ring the doorbell. What was he gonna do? He was just gonna stand there and look for Yuri.

Lucky guy! A very lucky guy indeed. Yuri's bedroom window was open and the curtains were rolled up, providing him a great view of Yuri in her boudoir. Realizing that Yuri could see him from where she was, he hid behind a tree and watched her from there. Yuri was dressing up but she wasn't completely naked. Yuri had a white tank top on and black mini shorts. She sat on the chair of her dresser and fixed her hair, tossing it, brushing it, tying it, undoing the ponytail, brushing and tossing it again. These simple things really turned Martin on and he tried not to yelp from behind the tree. Fuck talking and inviting, watching her from behind the tree was even more fun. Yuri then stood up and sat on her bed, rolling over to lie flat on her stomach with her two legs up, swinging back and forth. There was a book on the bed and while in this position, Yuri began to read. All the while she was oblivious to the fact that a man was watching her from behind an oak tree, sweating heavily and salivating in great amounts. And Yuri wasn't even in her night form.

But what exactly is her night form?

Martin watched Yuri from behind the tree and decided that the view from there was becoming more and more limited so in order to be able to stalk Yuri better, he climbed the oak tree and sat on a branch, waiting for Yuri to make her next move. The leaves concealed Martin but he must stay very calm and quiet if he wanted to be undetected. True enough, Yuri placed a bookmark on the page where she stopped and stood up to look for some clothes in her closet. Yuri so badly wanted to visit her aunt in the hospital but she had no idea how to get there. She decided that Minho take her to the hospital and after stopping for a while, she'd work on her 2nd job.

The night job.

Yuri pulled out a slinky black cocktail dress which extended no further beyond her thigh. The dress was really short and since the mirror was on the window's side, she had to go there to check it out. Martin saw this from behind the leaves and got turned on once more. Nothing could prepare him from what was coming next…

Yuri took her blouse off and tried the dress on. Martin was overwhelmed at how it fit her perfectly, capturing her small yet beautiful curves. At only 17, how could one look this good? Martin swore he could spend forever on that tree if it meant seeing Yuri.

_One day you will be mine. _


	4. Chapter 4

That afternoon, Martin was all strung out. He couldn't eat, couldn't sleep, couldn't work on his business. All he could do was think about Yuri and how she looked in that black minidress. He wondered what could be the reason for her picking that dress? She wasn't going to visit her aunt in that dress, was she? But Martin tried to snap out of his Yuri stupor for his son's sake. Like any other bad person, Martin still had a good side to him and that good side was his love for Minho. Truth is, when Minho told him off like he was older than him, Martin felt really hurt because the son that he raised with love and care was the son that just gave him a lecture on how to deal with young women. It was insulting and degrading, but what could he do? He was in love with Yuri and he wanted it to go away for his family and business' sake but somehow he didn't want to because the feeling was so good.

_She makes me feel very different. Very different from what I felt when I first met my wife. Yuri__'s definitely not like Jane. The feeling for Yuri is stronger than the feeling for Jane. I feel that if Yuri and I should get married, I would never get tired of her the way I got tired of Jane. Yuri seems really pleasant and I think I will never throw her away, should she be mine. _

A few hours and coffee mugs later, Martin heard his doorbell ring and jerked right out of his skin. The 45 year old businessman got on his feet and slowly peered through the window which was blocked by curtains. In order to get a better view of the person standing outside, he swept the curtains to the side and peered even more. To his great surprise, the person waiting for him outside was the person he never expected.

It was Yuri. The girl he desired for came to him. He didn't have to walk around like a stalker waiting for his prey to come out. Martin slowly opened the door with hopes of greeting Yuri and yanking her by the wrist, slamming the door and locking it, taking her to his room which he once shared with his wife and have his way with her. Perverted thoughts began to fill his head once more but he remembered what his son said and he immediately dropped his fantasies out of love for Minho. He received Yuri at the door and saw that she had with her a box that contained a whole cake.

"I had nothing to do last night so I decided to bake something and drop by to give you this gift. Take it as a token of appreciation for your concern. I really appreciate the care you have for Minho and me. So this is for you, if you don't mind." Yuri handed the small box to Martin. Martin took it and checked the clear center which showed the cake's flavor. Raspberry Cheesecake. His favorite.

"This is my favorite. How did you know?"

"Minho told me."

"He did?"

"Yes. I talked to him on the phone earlier. I said I wanted to give you a small token of appreciation for, you know, approving and supporting our relationship. He was really hesitant at first but he told me what you liked. And so here it is. I hope you like it." Yuri said with all humility. Martin found Yuri very different from all the other girls Minho had dated or had as friends. Those girls were shallow, prissy, and self-centered, caring more about their makeup and how they looked. Yuri wasn't like them. Maybe it's because Yuri had to work for herself and her aunt so Yuri knew a thing or two about hospitality and humility. She was wife-like if not mother like. So mother like that if she and Minho were to have a child right now, Martin would be glad instead of mad because he knew that his grandchild would be in good hands. But that's not what he wanted. What he wanted was for Yuri to be his wife.

"I see." Martin rubbed his chin and held the door open for Yuri. Yuri-who was in her waitress uniform-clasped her hands in front of her legs and waited for what Martin was about to say next. "Why don't you come in for a while. Have you had breakfast? I see you haven't. Well, Minho's in school so I think I can do a little…" Martin felt his sinful side taking over him once again. He promised his son he wouldn't and yet here he was brekaing that very promise. _If we need you, we'll tell you, _rant Minho's voice in Martin's head.

Then he remembered something. Minho was in school. He was alone at home. The opportunity for him to get closer to Yuri was there. The very object of his affection and infatuation was there at his doorstep and here he was, straying away from temptation when he knew he wanted to give in.

"I'm sorry Mr-Martin." Yuri almost addressed him with respect. "But I really need to go to work."

"You can't work on an empty stomach, Yuri." he told her, in a way that could be hypnotizing or enticing her. Yuri wanted to deny it as much as she could but she couldn't trash the fact that whatever spell Martin had in his words, they were definitely working. She found herself drawing closer and closer to Martin though she told herself time and time again not to.

_Stop it, Yuri! You are not going near that man! You have Minho! You can__'t be attracted! You are not to like him nor see him as anything but a father. A figure of authority…_

Being a young lady of 17, hormones were just about as right as hearts. Yuri snapped out of her stance and without thinking, she let her feet lead the way to the inside of Martin's house. Martin closed the door behind her and led her to the dining room with the cake still in his hand. He set it down on the table and pulled a chair for the young maiden.

"I'm running late…" Yuri found herself unable to coherently compose a sentence, especially when Martin looked at her with the same pair of slightly slanted eyes that Minho looked at her with. It was like falling in love with an older version of Minho, only that Jane wasn't part of the equation, which made it even better because now Yuri was sure she was falling for the father and out of love with Minho. It may not be drastic but the deeper the gaze Martin gave Yuri got, the more drastic the falling out became.

"No need to rush." Martin said. "If they should ask you, I'll cover up for you." he said with an assuring smile and a friendly (?) wink. Yuri could swear her defenses dropped right after he did.

"Okay. I guess I can stay a while…" Yuri said. Martin went to the kitchen to get the cake slicer as well as two plates and forks for them. Yuri tried hard to forget about the newfound feeling for Mr. Yoon but it started to eat her up, spitting the love for Minho out and making room for his father's affection. For the first time in her life, Yuri felt comfortable around Martin.

"Tell me when you need to go and I'll just bring you there, okay?" Yuri nodded as Martin sliced the cake thinly and gave it to Yuri. Yuri looked down and back up at him who was grinning at her, as if telling her to eat the cake through his smile. Yuri smiled slightly, not taking her mind off her aunt's death. She debated in her mind whether she should work or just go straight to the funeral parlor where her relatives were. Undecided, she just nodded and gently took the fork that was on the plate and ate her cake, bit by bit. She found it quite hard to stop glancing at Martin from time to time and though she told herself to quit it before it became a habit, she uncontrollably glanced at Martin once more and this time, Martin caught her. Yuri's mouth went agape as she hurriedly looked down and finished her cake. Martin saw Yuri's facial expression and confirmed it to himself. Yuri also had something for him and it made the job a lot easier for him.

"Yuri." he called. Yuri shakingly looked up and her dark brown eyes met Martin's slanted light brown ones. He nearly told her that he caught her looking and that it was a sign she liked him. Good thing he managed to control his mouth before the words slipped from them.

"Yes."

"I should take you…" _To my room_, Martin though halfway through the sentence. "To your workplace now." Yuri wiped her mouth with the napkin and nodded. She stood from where she was seated and walked humbly to Martin's Mercedes Benz. The kind businessman of 48 opened the door for Yuri and watched her body as she carefully entered the car. Martin walked over to the other side and got in, preparing himself for the drive to the diner. He fixed his hair a bit, taking several glances at Yuri who still wasn't wearing her uniform, as he had noticed.

"If you're going to work," Martin asked, "Why aren't you in uniform?" Yuri shyly looked at Martin with her hair in a messy ponytail, strands falling on her face. She refused to look at Minho's father for the infatuation might get deeper.

"I..I took it…to the cleaners. If I'm not mistaken…"Yuri frequently paused, trying to compose herself and rid herself of the awkward feeling that she was feeling right now. "I'm sure they have extra aprons there. I could just borrow." Martin raised and eyebrow and turned his attention back on the road. Yuri wanted to fix her hair but was afraid that any movement might elicit pedophilic feelings so she just sat with her hands neatly put on her lap. Martin made a U-Turn and parked at the parking lot of the diner to drop Yuri off.

"Thank you, appa." Yuri bowed to him with all courtesy and respect. Martin's heart fluttered a bit, making him feel 2 decades younger. Yuri gave him the sign of reverence, the sign of authority. The bow. It was then that Martin felt a great amount of arousal, knowing that Yuri had finally opened up to him and accepted him. The fact that she came to his house was proof enough that she was beginning to feel more comfortable with him. And to Martin, that was a good sign. He drove all the way to work in his Mercedes Benz, hoping to pick Yuri up later that afternoon.

Without Minho knowing.

What else did Minho not know? Well for starters, Minho certainly did not know about the cake (and he'd be mighty shocked if he got home and saw it because he knew that Yuri baked cakes and had tasted the raspberry cheesecake before); Minho also did not know that Martin had Yuri's number and could call her up any time he wanted and felt like; Minho did not know that his father broke his promise to stay away from Yuri.

Yuri just went on slinging and slinging plates and trays of burgers and pancakes. The American-influenced restaurant that Yuri worked for was never out of these as they were the specialties. All the while, Yuri stood out among the other waitresses because she was the only one with her hair messily in a bun, in a shirt and jeans, and in rubber shoes instead of her 2 inch pumps. Nobody paid attention, though.

That afternoon, Yuri saw the Mercedes Benz parked right outside the diner. She glanced at it and sighed a deep sigh. She thought of passing up a ride home and opting to call Minho to pick her up and take her to the funeral parlor where she would be visiting and mourning her dead aunt. Yuri walked out of the restaurant while taking her apron off hastily. Martin rolled down the window and cajoled her to get into the car.

"Come in." he said.

"Martin, I'm gonna have to pass this ride. I'm gonna go to the funeral parlor and I was thinking of calling Minho to pick me up. He wants to see auntie's body, too." Yuri said.

"Oh. I see. Well, if you need me, I'm just here."

"Yes. Thank you."

"Or would you like to wait in the car for Minho? I mean, it's kind of chilly and you look cold. Come inside for some warmth." Martin invited. Yuri agreed. It was kind of cold with the cool breeze blowing. She accepted Martin's invitation and entered the car. Martin grabbed Minho's varsity jacket (which he left behind) at the backseat and wrapped it around Yuri. Yuri felt uneasy and prayed and prayed for Minho to come. She slid her hand in her pocket and texted Minho.

'Minho, please come quick. I really need to go.'

Quickly she took the varsity jacket off and hid her cellphone inside of her pocket. Martin wondered about her abrupt actions.

"I don't really feel like wearing Minho's jacket. I'd rather use the heater, if it's alright with you." Yuri said bluntly. Martin cocked his head to the side and agreed. He turned the heater on and watched as Yuri adjusted herself to the seat and the temperature.

"How was work?" Martin asked, hoping to make the atmosphere less awkward.

"Tiring. But worth it." Yuri kept on looking back, hoping for Minho to come. Martin noticed this and couldn't help but ask her.

"What are you waiting for?" he asked nervously.

"Minho. I texted him. Told him to pick me up."

"Tell you what, I'mma save you and my son the trouble and take you there. "

"But I already texted Minho up." Martin showed a calm face but inside his blood was boiling. Part of him wanted to disown Minho for imposing a ban on Yuri. Subconsciously, he was starting to hate his own flesh and blood.

"Fine." Minho unlocked the doors and let Yuri out. Yuri sensed the frustration on Martin's face and asked him what was wrong. Martin refused to answer and just booted her out of the car gently then sped off, seeing that his son was coming. Yuri stood at the parking space where the Mercedes was and looked out for her boyfriend's motorcycle. Sure enough, Minho was racing her way when he caught sight of the Mercedes. He stepped down the motorcycle and interrogated Yuri.

"Was that dad in the Benz?" he asked sternly. Yuri shrugged, lying of course.

"No. Not that I know of. I just got out." Minho placed a hand on his hip and surveyed the place with furrowed brows and an angry facial expression. "Looks like dad's car to me." he said. Yuri all the while just looked either down or at him.

"I don't want to see you going near him, Yuri." Yuri's heart dropped at Minho's words. "I'm a 100% convinced that my father's interested in-"

"Don't say that!" Yuri covered her ears and ruffled her messy hair. She removed the clamp that was holding it in a bun and let her haggard, raven hair flow freely past her shoulders. "I don't know why you have to act all paranoid about your dad. Can't you see that he's just trying to be accomodating! Don't make the gap between the two of you get any bigger!"

"Shut up and just hop on." Minho couldn't produce a kinder reply. That was all he could think of at the moment. Yuri felt a slap across her heart but still got up on the motorbike and rode with Minho all the way to the funeral house.

Their travel was quiet, mostly. Yuri was still shocked at what Minho said for Minho had never yelled at her or said shut up to her. She didn't cry but she was in a daze. As soon as they got to their destination, Minho did a very ungentlemanly act of going down first and not helping Yuri down his motorcycle. All the while they hadn't been talking. The door was open and when Yuri got in, she noticed that Minho was standing comfortably outside the building with his hands in his pockets.

"Aren't you coming in?" asked Yuri. Minho shook his head slightly and opened his mouth.

"No." was all his mouth managed to produce. Yuri ran a hand through her hair and covered her pale and weary face with her cold hands. She couldn't believe her boyfriend was acting that way.

"Will you stop being so immature? Can you just come inside?" she pleaded.

"Why should I? I just chaperoned you here. I don't even-"

"Go to hell!" Yuri spun around and walked briskly to the funeral room where her aunt was. In there, she met up with the relatives, cried and cried, looked at the coffin where her aunt lay and left. She told them she couldn't stay long as she still had some work to do the following day.

Upon exiting, Yuri saw that Minho was on his motorcycle, smoking a cigarette. She rushed to his side and pulled the cigarette from his lips' clasp, throwing it on the ground and stomping on it with her sneakers.

"What the hell?" Yuri half-screamed.

"I should be asking you the same question! What the fucking hell?" Minho hollered.

"Minho, please be serious. You were smoking. You told me you wouldn't smoke and never even did and now I catch you with a cigarette in your mouth? Dammit!"

"Hey! Live a little. Not all promises are meant to be kept!"

"Let's see how many more promises you're going to break!" Yuri lashed back. Minho stood up straight and pushed his girlfriend, making her fall to the pavement of the funeral home's parking lot.

"Who was the guy in the Mercedes Benz? It was dad, wasn't it?"

"Minho-"

"Fuck! Shut the fuck up, you twisted whore! You were in there with my dad! I told you, be careful and don't go hanging out with dad that much!"

Yuri rubbed her arm which landed really hard on the brick pavement. She tried to get up but fatigue got the best of her. All she did was pathetically sit mermaid-like on the ground. Powerless and not being able to do anything, Yuri just cried. Minho looked at her, smirked and shook his head as he got on his motorbike.

"When you explain yourself and try to ask the same question about keeping promises, come back and talk to me." Minho just sat on the motorcycle and gazed at the stars. Yuri cried and cried.

"Your father…" she sobbed. "Is a good man! There is no reason for me or you to fear him!"

"Spoken like a true daddyfucker!" Minho spat out. Yuri's eyes widened in shock. Daddyfucker? Is that even a word? Well in Yuri's dictionary it wasn't but she didn't need a dictionary to know what it meant. Minho's words were harsh and it showed how jealous he was of his father and how furious he was at Yuri for accepting his father's friendship.

"You are a jealous, jealous man, Minho! Even your own father is not safe from your envy!" Yuri got up and ran away from Minho. Not realizing the gravity of his words and actions, Minho remained unmoved on the spot, watching Yuri run away from him.

"Next taxi stop's two 2 kilometers from here!"

"Asshole!" was what he got in reply. Minho shrugged and took another stick of cigarette from the pack, lit it up and smoked his joint alone at the funeral home parking lot.

Yuri walked for 2 kilometers, the freezing wind biting ever bit of her skin, numbing her system down and making her move slower than the usual. Her cardigan was wrapped loosely around her body, the sleeves made of thin wool allowed the cool breeze to penetrate the cardigan and enclose her skin in coldness. Yuri reached the taxi stop and embraced herself, tears running down her face. If one thing, the tears certainly did not warm her up. The cold flow made her freeze to the point of immobility as she waited for a taxi to pass by and stop for her. Sadly, it took the taxi such a long time to come that Yuri suddenly thought of texting Minho and asking him to come and pick her up. That thought, however, faded from her mind.

Minutes later, a green taxi parked in front of the bus stop, waiting for Yuri to board. Yuri boarded the taxi with her face pale and her eyes red and watery.

"Where to, miss?" asked the driver without looking at her. Yuri made herself comfortable in the backseat.

"Haebaragi Village. 21." Yuri said without looking at the driver, handing him her payment.

"Haebaragi…alright." The driver drove from where they were all the way to Haebaragi Village and stopped right at House 21. Yuri stepped out of the car without thanking the driver. She stood at the porch and watched the cab speed off. Once it had sped, Yuri turned around and faced her house. Her now empty house that was all hers. Yuri sighed and took the key out from her pocket, putting it in the keyhole opening the door. She turned the lights on and reflected on her aunt's death. She shook her head and made her way to her room where she plopped on her bed face first.

_Why? Why? Why must I suffer so much?_ screamed her head over and over. Yuri just let all the tears flow from her eyes and straight to the pillow. The young lady turned around and laid flat on her back, blurry eyes on the ceiling, wondering what she must've done wrong.

_First my aunt, then Minho__…_ Yuri couldn't quite comprehend her situation right now, as she couldn't think straight either. What mattered to her now was how to fix her life. Minho, as far as she knew, was still at the parking lot smoking when he promised her he would never smoke, drink, and do drugs. Yuri felt cheated on but what pissed her off more was the fact that her aunt-her one and only companion at home had died and it wasn't even why she was crying now. She was crying because Minho had broken his promise, cursed at her, and even pushed her down to the ground. She felt her relationship with Minho slowly crumbling down.

_Maybe he didn__'t mean it. Maybe he was just angry with someone else and he just took it out on me._ Yuri thought to herself. No matter how she looked at it, one thing was clear, Minho hated her that night and it was because of his father. But why his father? His father was a seemingly harmless person, accomodating and homely as a matter of fact. So why is it that Minho was so agitated when he found out that she hitched a ride in his father's Benz. It's not like his father was a total stranger to Yuri. She had been to his house a good 3-5 times or so.

Whatever the reason was, Yuri believed that all Minho needed was some thinking, talking, and a good night's sleep. As for her, she would stay up all night thinking about all the sad and shocking events that occurred that day.


	5. Chapter 5

Minho came home at around 1:00 am and was surprised to find no one in their house. He could swear he saw the Benz parked in the garage but his father was nowhere to be found.

"Dad!" he called. He didn't give a shit if he was shouting at 1 in the morning. He just wanted to know where his dad was. "Dad where the hell are you?" he called out once more. There was no reply. Great, he thought, he just got back from a funeral and just got back from a fight with his girlfriend and he comes home to a dark and empty house. Happy Motherfuckers Day!

"Where the fuck could that old man be?" Minho grunted to himself. He looked around the house and found no sign of his father. He ran a hand through his messy hair and decided to go around for a walk. The street was poorly lit and the only source of light was a couple of streetlights that flickered each time Minho passed by them. It made him sigh a deep sight of desperation, one that could only come from a man wanting to find inner peace.

Unfortunately, Minho found more than what he was looking for.

There, near the bright yellow colored house, a man in black was trying to sneak in. He looked all over the place for some bystanders or passers by that could ruin his opportunity to commit a crime. Minho hid behind a few bushes and a tree to spy on the criminal and possibly report to the police whatever activity he saw. The man climbed up the walls and entered the window to a certain room on the second floor. A string of muffled screams followed soon after but this wasn't what Minho was most surprised about. The real surprise came when the man in the black everything took the mask off and walked away from the vicinity calmly.

It was Martin! Martin Yoon. Minho's father. But what was he doing there? Minho felt his blood drain and his face fall to the ground. His very own father breaking in to other people's houses and making them scream? If he could only see what his father did in there, he would tell Yuri.

_I knew it! I knew my father was a diabolical man! I was never wrong to warn Yuri. I must tell her about this. She has to know!_ Minho stalked his father from behind the bush and continued to walk on the other side of the street,obscured by the bushes and the trees. Minho saw Martin looking at the mask that was in his hands, seemed to be deciding whether he was going to put it back on and victimize another or not. Martin decided he would do a little stalking that morning, he must've thought that his son was still out with Yuri. Little did he know that he was just on the other side of the street, spying on him. When Minho saw Martin put the mask back on, he stomached it no longer and rushed quietly back home, running from the point where he was to his destination. Home.

Upon reaching home, Minho plopped on the couch and remained in a daze. What he saw traumatized him, and he didn't even see the best part. All he saw was his father breaking into a house.

_Dad? Why would dad do such a thing?_ Confused thoughts raced through Minho's head and voices talked to him from within. Voices. Telling him, dictating to him what he just saw. Though Minho tried to force negative thoughts away from his mind, they just couldn't hide the fact that Minho saw it for real and it would never be forced out of his memories. Because of that, Minho stayed awake from 1:30 am to 7:00 am, the time that he was supposed to go to school.

His father arrived some time around 7:30. He was shocked to see Minho lying on the sofa, sleeping like a kid. Martin was pretty damned himself because he was late for work and he was late because he had some pretty perverted business the previous night/morning. He shook his son awake.

"Son! What the heck are you doing still sleeping here?" Martin hollered. Minho pretended to be still sleepy and looked up at his father hazily.

"Dad, wh-what time is it?" he asked groggily.

"It's 7 fucking 30! Are you going to get your ass out of there and get ready for school or am I going to drag you?"

"Dad you really shouldn't be talking to me like that. I'm sick. I can't go to school today." Minho said.

"Oh. Well I'm sorry son." Martin's voice was equally hazy. "Just go to your room and rest there. I don't want no slop in the living room. " Minho pretended to dizzily get up and climbed slowly up the stairs. As soon as he reached his room, he got inside and weakly shut the door. Martin followed suit and dressed up hurriedly for work. Once he was all dressed up, he ran down the stairs without bidding his son goodbye and headed to the garage where he got in the car and drove away to work. Minho was "sleeping" in his room.

Or was he?

"I have to find out what my dad did earlier." he muttered to himself. He laid in bed and imagined the scenario he was met with 6 hours ago. His father entered a house and last thing he heard was screaming. High-pitched screaming. Female screaming. Around 14-17 years old, most presumably. The voice was young.

Minho looked out the window to check if his father was still there. Figuring that he couldn't see it, he decided to go outisde and check the garage himself. He did so and saw that the car was gone. Good, he thought, now I can finally check my father's room.

He had been living with his father all his life but never for once did Martin allow his son to go to his room. Minho never knew why but this time, it seemed as if there was an opportunity for him to go in his father's room and figure out what it was that his father kept and prevented him from going into his room. Usually, whenever his father would leave, he brought the keys to his room with him so that if the curiousity bug should bite Minho, he wouldn't be able to get a sneak peek. But his father this time made the costly mistake of leaving the keys in his hurry, thus allowing Minho to unlock the door and enter the mysterious room of his father.

The room looked no different from the ordinary room that parents (or dads) usually have. There was a cabinet, a dresser that once belonged to his mother (I suppose his mother has a new dresser in her new house now), two sidetable drawers on either side of the bed and the bed itself. Minho kept on thinking about his father's words that echoed in his head from the day his voice started creaking and breaking to the present. What was it that his father had been keeping from him? With no one at home and Minho "sick", he had all the freedom to check his father's room out. Nothing was weird or out of place, though. Everything was fine and normal the way it was. So what _**exactly **_was it that his father didn't want him to see?

The answer was all in his mother's old dresser.

Minho checked practically everywhere for any form of oddity that could indicate why his father broke into someone else's house that night. The only place that he hadn't checked yet was the dresser and though he knew that his father never used the dresser, who knows, right? Minho opened the cabinet on the left, the one below the table and shock as well as paralysis came over him.

In that drawer were pictures of children. Teenagers. Young men and women. Naked. In grotesque, awkward positions. Taken or taken from magazines, Minho didn't know. All he knew was that his father was into child pornography and all the while he didn't know. This made him even angrier at his father and the need to protect Yuri became higher. Now more than ever because his father had been making moves on Yuri. Who knows what his father will do next? Wasting no time, Minho grabbed all the pictures and scurried out of his father's room, produced an envelope from his school bag and kept them there. The keys were still on the sidetable drawer so Minho dashed to his dad's room and restored everything, locking it as soon as he left before he could forget.

Throughout the day, Minho couldn't stop thinking about the pictures and the insane act that his father pulled earlier that morning. In fact, it traumatized him to the extent that he could not eat, drink, nor sleep just thinking about what his father could and would do next.

_No child in this neighborhood is safe. Who knows who he__'ll come after next? If he has the guts to victimize children he doesn't know, what more the people he's more familiar with. For all I know, I could be his next victim. But I'm cool, I can fight my own dad if it means saving my dignity and my life but what if his next victim is someone I care so deeply about…_

_Yuri? _

Yuri was the first person to enter Minho's mind when he saw the pictures. He knew that his father had been very friendly towards Yuri since the day he introduced her to him. Since then, Martin had been asking Yuri to come over, giving her rides to work and picking her up. Those were just some of the things that Martin had done for Yuri but what about the things that Minho _**didn't**_ know about? Things that Yuri never told him. What if they did more and Yuri just didn't tell him for the sake of their relationship, both between the two of them and him and Martin.?

_I have to talk to Yuri._ was the first thing that ran into his mind.

But no, said his brain. Remember, you hurt Yuri last night. Not only did you jerkily leave her to grieve for her aunt alone in the funeral house, you cussed at her and pushed her to the ground. You even smoked a fucking cigarette when you told her, _**promised**_ her that you wouldn't! If that wasn't enough, you made her wait for a taxi in the freezing wind by herself when you knew you had a vehicle that could take the two of you home faster. She paid a hundred won for that taxi, you son of a gun! Minho's brain was angry at him now.

Now was no time to get personal. Now was no time to think about what shit happened last night. His father was a sexual predator…scratch that out child molester and avid child porn collector, pedophile, pervert, whatever else! Yuri was not safe. Minho had to do something.

Yuri was still in her room, sleeping. She had momentarily stopped studying (she needed to earn money first) so her primary focus now was her work. Her jobs, actually. Yuri recently applied for a job that she had not told Minho about yet and was planning on telling him last night had it not been for his shitty acting up. Now, Yuri thought, was not a good time to talk to Minho about anything. She wasn't breaking up with him or what but she needed some time for herself. Minho never knew that she thought about this and was even planning to tell her about his latest discovery.

Minho brisk walked from his house to Yuri's place, ringing the doorbell.

_God, I hope she fucking answers the door. She can__'t stay mad at me forever now, can't she?_ he wondered to himself. Minho rubbed his forehead and anticipated Yuri to emerge from the front door. When she didn't, he rang the doorbell once more. A frustrated and disturbed neighbor hollered out and said,

"She's not there!" she said. "She left for work already." the neighbor continued to pull out the weeds on her garden.

"Oh. Is that so? Well then, thank you. Best be on my way now."

"Best be." agreed the old woman. Minho glanced at her strangely and walked back to his house.

In his house, he pranced round, thinking of the words to say so that he wouldn't fuck this up the way he fucked up their previous conversation. Once the words in his mind were already in their rightful order, he picked his cellphone up and dialled Yuri's number.

_I hope she picks it up. I pray that she__'s not mad at me anymore. _

"Hello?" answered the smooth voice on the other line.

"Yuri. It's Minho, where are you?"

"Haven't you insulted me enough to come calling me? Are you trying to play with me again?"

"Wha-Yuri what the fuck are you talking about?" asked Minho, worried.

"Why are you calling me? To say sorry? Minho your promises are as real as the 30th of February. "

"Yuri! Will you-"

"Shut up! I don't care about whatever it is that you have to say because whatever that might be, it's just another lie for damn sure!"

"I want you to shut up for one fucking moment and listen to me if you don't want to get yelled at again. I discovered something so gruesome and your life can be put in danger if you don't listen so if you still want to see the sun set, I suggest you shut that whiny hole of yours and fucking listen to me, you bitch!" Minho got so angry but he ranted in a calm way. So calm that Yuri actually followed, disregarding the hurtful words he just said. For some reason she just followed him and kept her mouth shut.

"What?"

"After I sent you away last night, I stopped by at the local pub and bought me some drinks, of course after lying and telling them that I was 21. They gave me a couple or so and after that I headed home. I was sober enough to know what was going on so the moment I got home, I knew dad wasn't around because when I called he didn't reply and the house was empty. So I went back out and looked for him, I also went out for a short walk but what I saw was something strange. I saw a man climbing up the walls of a house and forcing his way in through the window. I heard then a shrill, coming from presumably a girl around 14-17 years of age. Sounded as if she was raped, which I think was likely. Then when the guy got out, he took the mask off and revealed his identity…"

Yuri started to feel scared. "What happened next?"

"…it was Dad! Dammit, Yuri it was Dad! I stood hidden behind bushes and trees and stalked him til he entered another house and when he entered another house, I ran all the way home and stayed up til God knows what time. Dad came home at around 7:30 and I told him I wouldn't go to school so he's gone now. He's at work now. And that's not even the best part. Guess what happened next?"

Yuri didn't answer him. His story was starting to piss her off.

"I went to Dad's room but it wasn't easy, dear. Oh no. Dad's room is always locked. He never really let me in the room since the day I started thinking about girls and now I know why! He left the keys here at home in his hurry and bingo! I found child porn pictures! Not just child porn but pictures of some girls in the neighborhood! Goddammit Yuri, my father is one dangerous man!"

Finally, Yuri spoke up and said, "Is this another one of those lies? Another one of those pranks you pull to impress me because if it is, honey it's not working well. After you continously ruined your father's image because of your paranoia, your fear that he'd get me from you and after you lied about not getting into any vices you expect me to believe this bullshit you're telling me? You must be one lucky son of an ass if you think that I'm buying your story. It's so made up, Minho. Coming from a drunk, immature, obnoxious son of a bitch!" Yuri breathed heavily. This tirade made her tired. "You don't deserve my trust, Minho. Like the boy who cried wolf!"

Minho's heart sank, especially at the words 'you don't deserve my trust'.

"What are you talking about, Yuri? I'm not lying! This is for real! I'm telling you! Dad is a rapist! He's a pedophile! You can come over here and take a look at the pictures if you want! Yuri, you're in danger. Stay away from my dad. I think we-"

"You must think I'm really stupid then!" Yuri cried. Honestly, hurting Minho like this was hurting her even more. "For all I know, you just cut or took those pictures and placed them in your dad's room! You're the pedophile, Minho!"

"What? Yuri the fuck you talking about?"

"I don't mean to hurt you, Minho, but your father is a better man than you. He's the man you will never be. I guess not all things run in the blood."

"Are you saying?"

"I'm saying that I'm going back to work. Goodbye and stop calling me to tell me crap. If it's crap you want to share, share it with other people. I may be weak at times but I'm not one to crap around with." Yuri hung up and went back to work, sighing heavily from time to time but inhaling deeply knowing that her pride enabled her to talk back without breaking down. That was a good attitude, she thought.

Minho detatched the phone from his ear and slammed it against the wall, shattering it. He leaned against the post of his bed and sat on the floor, banging his head repeatedly on the wall. The young man fought the urge to cry but at one point, he just felt his tears rolling down without him knowing.

_So this is the price I pay for trying to protect someone._ Minho said. _As much as I don't want to believe that Yuri likes my father more than me, everything seems to be making sense._

Yuri on the other hand, worked busily at the diner. She walked around with trays in her hands, taking orders and delivering food to the tables. That wasn't the only job she had that day, though. She had another job and it was at another place at another time…

All she had to do now was wait for her shift to end and she could go.

[LATER AT AROUND 5:30 PM]

Yuri took another cab ride to the bright and busy part of Seoul, a place that was a far cry from the quiet village that she lived in. In that bright and busy part was the nightlife and in the nightlife, that's where Yuri worked. But what was Yuri's job?

"Just right here mister, thank you." after paying the cab driver a hundred won, Yuri stepped out still in her waitress uniform. She opened a door hidden in the backlot of some building which led her to some sort of dressing room. That's where the simple 17 year old waitress down at Jin's Eats transformed into a sultry singer. Yuri wore a red tube dress that was only a little above half her thigh and had a division in between her breasts. Her hair, which was messily done in a ponytail, was let down and tossed a bit to give her that bad girl look. Heavy makeup was applied on her face, dolling her up beyond recognition. Once her transformation had been completed, she exited the dressing room and sat atop a grand piano where she was to sing. The piano was not the only instrument in the room, though. It had a Big Band Era setting with old school drums and cellos. There were not so many people around, though. Yuri could easily make out their faces.

**[song: "Give Me" by the Nine Muses]**

The lights dimmed down and Yuri began her number. The men population of the crowd raised their eyebrows at a rapid speed and whistled, yelped, howled and did all forms of flirting and cheering. The ladies in the audience remained calm and collected, maybe some were feeling a bit insecure. Yuri-though only 17-looked like she was a woman of 22, thus eliciting arousing feelings and temptations in the guys. Some guys stood up and moved closer to the stage, hoping to get a better view of the young lady. When you're 17 and you're performing for drunk, horny, tired, middle-aged men, even if you're performance is as decent as Yuri's song number without any stripping or skin showing (save for some cleavage and legs), expect instant sex symbolism.

Yuri was too lost in the song to notice the door at the back of the bar open. A middle aged man, a _**familiar**_ looking middle aged man came in. Loving the feeling of attention and the sultriness of the song, Yuri looked up and failed to recognize him but once the song was about to come to an end, Yuri realized that she had been followed by Martin Yoon. All of Minho's words came back to her and it distracted her, thus disabling her from further heating up the already hot atmosphere in the assumingly air-conditioned bar.

"Is that?" Martin asked himself. Despite the heavy makeup she had on, he was still able to recognize Yuri. He knew this was wrong. He knew 17 year old Kwon Yuri shouldn't be doing this because she was still a minor. He knew it was anything but just. Yet, he didn't do anything about it. Yet, he didn't object. Why? Because he liked, no _**loved**_ every motherfucking moment of it. Just the sight of Yuri's caramel-vanilla skin and the sight of her smooth, long legs turned him on. Why stop it if it's beneficial, right? He sat down by himself and ordered some Hennessey. The alcoholic drink came just in time for the ending of the performance. Finally, he thought, I can now ask Yuri to come and have some shots with me. And when we get drunk, that's when the magic happens.

Sadly, magic isn't happening tonight.

Yuri's performance ended with a bang, eliciting huge roars from the 30-40 year old men population. She bowed and exited, going back to her dressing room. In her dressing room, she thought of all the words that Minho told her and was thinking of reconsidering them. What if he was right? Maybe his father was a pedophile, maybe he wasn't but it never really hurt to be careful. If Minho was right, then she just saved herself the trouble of getting raped by an old man. If he wasn't, then she would still be careful, at least she would be knowledgeable that such people existed in their subdivision. One of the makeup artists peered through her door.

"Yuri, someone wants to see you?" Yuri raised her eyebrows and stood from where she was, walked to the direction of the lady's extended hand. Martin was waiting for her at a table with two glasses of wine.

"Siddown." he said. Yuri shook her head and smiled.

"I have to get going. I still-"

"Siddown." he insisted. Not wanting to piss him off, Yuri pulled the chair and sat down. She pulled the glass of wine towards her and sniffed it. She decided that the smell was too strong and pushed it away.

"Mr. Yoon, it's really nighttime. I-"

"I'll take you home." he said with a sly smile. Yuri felt uncomfortable and recalled all the things Minho said. The words pedophile and rape suddenly popped up in her head and she began to feel scared. But Minho's acts of lying and pretentious behavior blocked that fear and with the faith she had in her that Martin wasn't a pedophile and that Minho was someone not to trust, she stayed.

"Okay then. So what brings you here?"

"I come here a lot. To relieve myself of stress. Bout you?"

"First night of the job. Just applied two nights ago, got accepted last night. Just finished my first gig. Tuesdays and Thursdays are my days." Yuri thought about what Minho said again and wondered if she really needed to reveal it to his father. Did she really have to let him know that his son went snooping around in his room and took out the not-so-pleasant pictures?

Nah! Minho was a liar. He deserved no Yuri.

So for the remainder of the night, Yuri spent it talking with Martin over drinks. She found herself actually, to put it in her terms, "in like" with the guy. That's when she decided that they would make really good friends.

Despite of what Minho said.


	6. Chapter 6

At around 4:00 am, Martin took Yuri home. Yuri was knocked out but Martin was still sober enough to drive them safely back to their quiet village.

"Yuri, Yuri we're here." he shook her awake. Yuri blinked beautifully and turned to Martin's direction.

"We-we are?"

"Yes. This is where you get off." Martin said. _Unless you want me to carry you all the way to your room and have my way with you. _

"Oh. Okay." Yuri's makeup was all smudged. Her hair was back to its messy form. And she didn't realize that she had forgotten her waitress uniform at the old bar. Shoving all of this to the back of her head, she got down and thanked Minho's dad for the ride. Yuri entered her house and propped on the sofa, slept and waited for the sun to rise. She didn't even bother to change. She just laid down in her red dress and slept…drunk.

Martin drove all the way home and Minho…boy was Minho excited. He slept for only 2 hours and once he heard his father's car park in the garage, he couldn't wait to give him a piece of his mind. Minho spent the whole day in the house, drinking beer and eating junk foods. He must've gained a lot of weight or so he thought, but that's not what's important. What mattered most to Minho right now was confronting his father about his doings. Sensing his father coming inside, he turned all the lights out and sat on the sofa with the envelope of pedophilic pictures sitting beside him. War was about to start at 4:00 am.

"Son! Son! Where the heck are you?" Martin drunkenly asked. Martin tried to turn the lights on but his drunk and weak state prevented him from doing so. Reaching for the switch was hard enough so Minho did his father some kindness and pulled the string the lit the lamps up.

"Hello dad." Minho said with a stern look on his face. His eyes were bloodshot red, evidence of lack of sleep; underneath them were dark circles, evidence of stress, his hair was a mess, proof that he just got up. Either that or Minho hadn't fixed himself since his father left.

"Son, what's going on? What immaturity are you trying to pull off this time?"

"Actually dad, it's not exactly what I would call immaturity." Minho stood up with the brown envelope clamped under his arm. Martin swallowed hard and exhaled.

"I need to ask you a few questions, dad."

"What are those?"

"Siddown first." Martin walked over to the sofa and sat down. He had no idea what was going on. Instead of shaming his father by exposing the pictures himself (and to save him from the grossed out feeling), he handed the brown envelope to his father. "See for yourself what's going on." Martin shot glances-angry glances-at his son and looked through the envelope. There it was…right in his hands…the child porn pictures that he took from wherever. Martin could feel the smoke coming out of his ears and nose and his blood boiling…way past its critical point.

"What…the…FUCK…did I tell you about going through my shit?" Martin yelled.

"You made the costly mistake of leaving your key behind. And don't think I don't know what you did last morning…" Minho warned.

"Where the fuck were you then? I thought you were sick?"

"Fuck sickness, dad. Fuck it very much! Because if there's anyone between us who's sick, it's you! There's no cure for your sickness, Daddy-O!"

"What did I tell you about wandering alone in the early morn?"

"You told me not to. You're right. But you gave me every reason to. Oh and by the way dad, what did _**I **_tell you about breaking in to other people's houses and having your way with their teenage daughters, hm?" Minho crossed his arms in front of his chest and stared angrily at his father. "That's right. You broke your promise. Why'd you come home just now? You smell of alcohol. Think you've been drinking. Who you with?"

Martin fell silent and looked at his son with a pokerface on. He looked really calm but deep down inside he'd give anything to have this young man in front of him killed.

"If I had a knife right now, I would've shoved it down your throat!"

"Why are you doing this dad?" Minho asked, his voice shaking. "Aren't you happy with your life? What else is missing? Huh?"

"You don't understand what it's like for me to come home everyday feeling pained and pressured and…"

"And what? Dad, you don't have to do this! You're motherfucking shaming yourself. I know it's unethical to be cursing in front of your dad but this gruesome discovery…shit! I just can't help but cuss in front of you! Who self-respecting son, one who loves his dad so much wouldn't curse when he finds out that his dad has been keeping sick pictures like this from him! What's wrong with you dad? Tell me, please!"

Martin fell silent once more. He couldn't (and didn't) want to let his son know that he had a growing attraction towards young girls and he was looking to victimize Yuri.

"What is this about, huh?" Minho started to cry tears of anger and embarrassment. "Aren't you content with your life? Dad, you have everything! You have a good job that pays you well, you have a good son who would never disobey you. Your wife still loves you though she isn't with us everyday!"

"It must be your mother."

"I guess so." Minho replied. "But I'm not letting this pass! I am not! Mom has to know about this!" Martin jumped out of his skin when he heard that his son was planning to let his mother know about his addiction.

"No! No! Please do not. Anything but that! My name will be ruined."

"Stop being so fucking selfish! It's not just you who will be ruined. It's me, too. Us! Your fucking corporation!" Minho cried tears of a young man. "But if it's for the better, you're gonna have to face the consequences of your actions and I'm gonna have to suffer because of your stupidity!"

"Son! Please no! Give me another chance! I won't mess around. EVER AGAIN!"

"Dad, how many times have you promised? HOW MANY?"

"Son I've never broken-"

"Shut the hell up! Where have you been? How come you smell like alcohol." Minho was feeling really embarrassed because they were fighting like husband and wife.

"Son, I'm going to confess to you now." he said. "I went to a bar. And I wasn't alone."

"Who were you with?"

"I was with…" Martin took a deep breath. "Yuri."

Minho let out a loud gasp and closed his hands into fists. Balls of fury fists ready to punch.

"Did I not tell you to stay away from Yuri? DID I NOT?"

"Yes you did but-"

"But nothing dad! But fucking nothing! You lied to me. All this time you've been lying to us! I checked those pictures. Some of them dated way back in 2004, when you and mom were still married! You took pictures of your underage other woman! You are a bastard, dad! You're a fucking bastard! You stay away from my Yuri!" Minho yelled.

"I have to admit something…"

"Admit it now or I'm gonna reach for the gun in your compartment and blow your brains off!"

"I am in love with Yuri. Yes, even after you told me to stay away from her, I have been seeing her. I take her to work and pick her up. I try to spy on her and stare at her every chance I get. Your girlfriend works at a bar in Seoul City as a singer. She just came home from work. We drank together and I dropped her off in her house. She's at home, sleeping and drunk." Martin humbly admitted. "I'm sorry son but I just can't help myself. Maybe it's because of the divorce."

"Fuck your excuses." Minho was really angry now. "You've been at it since you and mom were married. I think it's the reason why you guys divorced."

"You don't know about anything so keep your fucking hole shut!"

"Stay away from my girl." Minho threw the envelope on the floor and walked up to his room to get some sleep. Just as soon as his body and brains relaxed, his father attacked him from behind, pounding his back and beating him up. This took Minho by surprise but being a sturdy young man of 17, he opted to fight back. Minho spun around and punched his father square in the jaw. Martin was still brawnny at 48, even brawnier than when he was Minho's age. Matter of fact, it was a fair fight. Martin grabbed his son by the collar of his polo and dragged him down the stairs. Minho fell and was sure that he broke his collarbone but refusing to bow down to his father. Martin kicked Minho's side and picked his son up by the long, uncut hair but Minho punched his father in the gut and kicked him there. He knew his gut was his weakest spot so Minho did just right by targeting it.

When Martin was down and out, wincing in pain grabbing his abdoment, Minho stood up and ran outside of the house. He got on his motorcycle that was parked outside the garage and rode all the way to the local pub where he drank beer after a fight with Yuri the previous night. Upon arriving at the pub, he bust through the doors all weary and wounded. The bartender looked at him but didn't pay him much mind as he was busy chatting with his more favorite customers. Minho pulled himself a stool and sat down.

"Scotch on the rocks. Make it two." Minho demanded.

"Woah! Sonny! Two? Are you sure? It's still kinda early and you young'in…" the bartender asked in a surprised, slurry tone.

"Hey," Minho fished out some bills from his pocket and flashed it to the bartender. "You want this money? I heard you're having a hard life now. Want it?" The bartender cocked his head and nodded, agreeing with Minho. "Then by God give me my drink and you can have this…and more!" The bartender nodded and reached for the money but Minho pulled away.

"Nuh-uh. Drink first. Money later."

"Fine." The bartender went to get the drinks and poured Minho two glasses. He handed them over to Minho and in exchange, Minho gave the bills.

"We're gonna get along just fine, my man. Because I'm afraid these aren't the only glasses I'll be drinking. It's your lucky day, it's my lucky day." Minho said.

"Good, then. Drinks at 5:00 am."

"A toast?" Minho proposed to the bartender. "Pour yourself a drink and toast with me, you son of a gun!" The bartender smirked at Minho's sudden outgoing-ness and poured himself a glass of whiskey.

"You better start lightening up, Choi. I like you already! You should come here often. I bring the scotch in on Wednesdays!"

"You know my favorite!" Minho and the bartender toasted. They drank and drank until Minho was sure he could pass out on the bar table.

"Hey! Hey sonny get up!" The bartender said. "It's 6 am. I gotta get home! Don't be hanging your lazy ass around here!" Minho looked up and stared at the bartender. He was drunk, wasted, and fell asleep at the bar.

"Wha?"

"It's 6 fucking o clock. Get up! I still have to close this place and clean your shit up!"

"It's 6 am? Goddammit!" Minho rose from his seat and although still drunk and angry, he left and got on his motorcycle, driving away as fast as possible. He just didn't tell the bartender, though that he was still a minor and he was on his way to school. Minho rode on the motorcycle, going at a very fast speed. Drunk, sleepy, and angsty, Minho failed to see the truck that was coming his way. Unfortunately for him, the truck driver was drunk and wasted, too so when it came down to the center of the road…

"OH HOLY FUCK!" were Minho's last words…

The motorcycle crashed into the truck and if that wasn't enough, Minho got thrown overboard and slammed to a tree, leaving his body in a horrible state of death. His body was all bloodied, skull crashed and bones broken. The truck driver was injured, too but survived.

A few hours after the accident, Minho's father was called up and informed about the accident.

"Your son has died on his way home. Apparently he came from some place north of Haebaragi Village but he never made it." said the paramedics.

Shock, grief, regret, and guilt gripped Martin altogether. His son died? But just a few hours ago they were talking, fighting even.

"Is-is his body still there?"

"Yes it is but it is damaged beyond recognition."

"I'm coming." Martin hung up and dashed outside of his house, entered his car and drove to where the paramedics told him his son was. Sure enough, there they were in the middle of the road, taking pictures and examining the body. The truck driver was placed on a stretcher and taken to the hospital. Martin tried to take a quick look at his son's dead body. It was indeed damaged, crush, destroyed beyond recognition as Martin couldn't even tell if that was really Minho with a broken skull and a disfigured body. His father let out a loud cry, the loudest he'd let out in his life. Nothing could be more painful than the death of your own child but the most painful fact of life is that your son died with anger in his heart. Anger towards you. And you even fought that very morning, a good 2-3 hours before his demise. Your son died and you never even got the chance to apologize and make things right again with him.

"We're gonna do an autopsy on his body and try to find out what happened to him really. We'll call you up for more details." said the paramedic. Martin nodded and went back inside his car, drove back home fighting the tears.

_My son didn't deserve to die. It should've been me. It should've been me there lying with my brains sprawled on the grass and my blood coloring the mud. _Martin let the tears flow freely from his eyes as he cried with anguish and regret.

The first person that came into his mind was Yuri. He knew how Minho loved Yuri and how he'd do anything for her. Yuri would be crushed if she knew that Minho died today. So crushed that she probably would stop living and just kill herself to be with Minho.

Until the consoling, pedophilic side of his brain turned on. A dirty and lewd thought came up in his mind. Now that Minho was dead, Martin could have Yuri all for himself. But he pushed that thought aside, knowing that it was improper to feel happy for the death of his young son just so that he could go near his girlfriend. He remembered all the things Minho told him about one day marrying Yuri.

_Shove the perverted thoughts. Shove the perverted thoughts. _Martin tried not to think pedophilically but he just couldn't help himself. The desire to see Yuri and to see her hurt over her boyfriend was just very hot. Martin parked his car in front of Yuri's house and rang her doorbell. Yuri calmly walked over to the door and received him.

"Good morning, Martin. What brings you here so early?" asked the young lady. She noticed that Martin's face was looking rather sad.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news for you, Yuri." Martin said with his head down.

"W-What?" Yuri stammered, a bit worried.

"Minho's dead. He died in a car accident just this morning." Yuri covered her mouth with her hand and nearly passed out. She felt weak at the knees and was about to fall when Martin caught her by the shoulders. It felt so good to hold her shoulders without apprehension.

"Are you alright?" he asked Yuri. Yuri moved away from him and sat on the sofa, hoping to clear her mind and try to absorb what she had just heard.

"No." she said calmly. "No I'm not." Yuri recalled the argument she and he had a few nights before. After that, Minho tried to make up with her, tried to reconcile but she was stubborn and refused to accept his apology, thus deepening the gap between them. She could swear they were close to breaking up. Well now they were officially broken because Minho was in the afterlife. Yuri felt regret pinching her everywhere. She wished she had listened to Minho one last time. If only she had known that Minho was going to die, she would've made things right again.

"Yuri, I'm very sorry."

"You don't have to be sorry." Yuri replied. "We were falling apart anyways. He wanted to break up with me that's for sure."

"He never hated you, Yuri. In fact, he loved you so much he'd talk to me about you all the time." Martin said.

"If only I could talk to him one more time, just to tell him I'm sorry, I would. I would, Martin." Yuri allowed herself to freely break down. Martin took this sad opportunity to draw her body close to his. He put an arm around Yuri and much to his surprise, Yuri wasn't fighting back. She was taking it all in and allowing him to touch her.

_Finally. I__'m getting her to open up to me. This could be the start of something._

And it was. Yuri felt Martin's touch and decided that it was warm and comforting. That's when she thought that all the things Minho told her about Martin were untrue. Martin was a kind and decent man.

"I know it sounds kind of inappropriate but…"Yuri started, wiping her tears from time to time. Martin knew what was coming and was greatly anticipating it.

"Yes?"

"Is it alright if you stay here with me for a while. I just don't want to feel alone anymore." Yuri sobbed.

"Yes. It is alright with me." Martin said. _It's very alright with me._ He held Yuri close and comforted her, assuring her that everything would be okay.

"I can't keep crying." Yuri said, pulling away from the embrace. "I need to go to work now."Martin let go of her.

"I'll take you there. Go up and get dressed. I'll be waiting here." Martin stayed downstairs on the sofa, waiting for Yuri. As Yuri was getting dressed, Martin felt the rush of curiousity overpowering him.

_No. Do not give in to your temptations. Your son just died and do not use this opportunity to screw with his girlfriend. _

Temptation is indeed hard to overcome. Knowing that Yuri was probably busy in the shower to notice him go up the stairs, he quietly tiptoed his way up and looked ofr the bathroom. The loud splashes of water weren't hard to follow so as soon as he got up, his instinct led him to a watery sounding room which was the bathroom. The minute he leaned on the door, the shower stopped making noise. That's when Martin peered through the small keyhole the door had. Sure enough, there was Yuri wrapped in only her towel. Martin could feel arousal in his body just by looking at Yuri in nothing but a piece of white cloth. He felt dirty and improper but it was just so hard to resist. Yuri, oblivious to the fact that she was being spied on, took the towel off and dried her body. Martin saw things that an old man mustn't see. When Yuri was all dry, she put on her necessary garments and used the blower to properly dry her hair. Martin moved away from the door and ran back downstairs. Yuri thought she heard him come up but didn't mind, focusing on her hair insteard.

Downstairs, Martin was close to dying due to sexual arousal. He knew what he did was wrong and felt guilty but he enjoyed the feeling while it was there. Minutes later, Yuri came down and told him to give her a lift in his car.

"Sure. I'll take you to your workplace."

"Thanks. I appreciate it very much." Yuri bowed. Her uniform was a tinsy bit loose so when she bowed down, Martin saw her small breasts enclosed in a bra.

"You're welcome." he diverted his attention to her eyes once she straightened her body up. The two headed to the car and Martin helped Yuri in. Yuri smiled at him and thanked him for his gentleman-ness and thoughtfulness. Martin replied with a smile. He then drove Yuri to Jin's Eats.

"I'll pick you up at 5, alright?" he said.

"Sure." Yuri stepped out of the car and bowed to her senior as a gesture of gratitutde.

"See you." Martin sped off to work and Yuri entered the restaurant to work and earn for herself. There was no hiding the despair in her eyes. She was ultimately sad that Minho was no longer with them

But there was no hiding the lust and desire in her eyes for Martin, either.


	7. Chapter 7

At exactly 5 pm, Martin came to the diner to pick Yuri up. Yuri was already waiting with her hair undone. Though she was tired and weary and depressed, she still looked very beautiful to Martin.

"Hey beautiful! Come in for a ride!" Martin said. Yuri smiled at him and ran to the car. She got in and hugged Martin.

"Thank you so much. You've been very much like a father to me." Yuri said.

"Well you are welcome."

"You wanna know a secret?" Yuri said as they drove their way home.

"What?"

"It's my birthday tomorrow! Minho and I were supposed to celebrate but since he's gone, would you help me celebrate?"

"Why not my dear?" Martin said excitedly with a menacing grin. "What do you want to do?"

"I've always wanted to know what it's like to celebrate with a dad. Kind of like a father and daughter bonding party. Just the two of us."

"You'll be how old tomorrow?" Martin asked.

"18." That sent a shockwave of excitement through Martin's veins. She's gonna be 18, he thought, now I can finally practice my expertise on her.

"Wow. You're turning 18. That means you're to become a young woman now."

"What should I do to celebrate?" asked Yuri. Martin rubbed his chin and an idea popped in his head.

"How's about we go drinking tomorrow. You working at the bar tomorrow?"

"Brilliant idea." Yuri giggled. "I got drunk last time, maybe we can do it again." Martin smirked.

"I'll pick you up tomorrow. After work?"

"I'm going to work tomorrow." Yuri answered. "My other work" she added with a naughty smile. Something in Martin told him she wanted it too.

"Alright. I'll pick you up and I'll take you to downtown Seoul, if that's okay with you."

"Of course it is." Yuri said with a smile. They finally arrived at Yuri's house and Martin watched maliciously as Yuri made her way out of his car. She shut the car and asked Martin to roll the windows down once more as she had something to say.

"Thank you so much for your companionship and comfort. I really appreciate it."

Yuri said. "I really miss Minho. I just hope he knows that."

"I know my dear. And you are always welcome." Martin said with a smile. _I'll make you forget about Minho tomorrow night. _

Yuri waved at him and entered her house. Martin didn't leave until he saw Yuri go inside her house and close the door.

[THE FOLLOWING NIGHT]

The following night was Yuri's birthday. She didn't really tell anyone at the diner about it (not that they cared) and the only people that knew about her birthday were her and Martin. She couldn't wait for him to pick her up so instead of leaving the diner at exactly 5 pm, she left an hour early. Yuri waited at the parking lot for Martin to come. To attract a little bit of attention, Yuri slipped out of her waitress uniform and plain Jane looks and wore a sparkly black dress, matched it with black glittery pumps and had her hair let down. Yuri opted to do her hair and makeup in her dressing room at the bar. Right now, her goal was to attract Martin's attention.

Martin received a call from Yuri that afternoon telling him to pick her up early.

"Can you come now? I'm off duty now." Yuri said.

"Sure. But it's kinda early, don't you think?"

"Not so. It usually takes me an hour to get ready. I'm already dressed though, it's just that still have to get my hair and makeup done as well as practice for my number." Yuri said.

"Alright then, I'm coming." Yuri waited in her glamorous black dress for Martin outside the diner. After a few minutes, a Mercedes came and parked at the usual parking spot. Sure enough that it was Martin, Yuri entered the car and greeted him with a friendly embrace.

"Happy 18th birthday, Kwon Yuri!" said Minho's father.

"Thank you. I can't wait for my treat!"

"Well if it's a treat you want it's a treat you'll get. That's what you get for being a good girlfriend to my son." Yuri's smile turned upside down when she heard the word 'son'. All the memories she had with Minho flashed back before her eyes and she couldn't help but tear up. Minho surely held a special place in her heart and celebrating her birthday without him was just sad.

"I miss Minho." she said with a sigh. Martin placed a comforting free hand on her shoulder and said,

"Well I miss him, too. You see he's my son and he meant the world to me. I didn't care if his mother left me. All I needed was him. We're feeling the same pain, Yuri." Martin knew he was just being pretentious to sympathize with Yuri. In all honesty, he _**loved **_the fact that Minho was dead. At least he could get closer to Yuri without anyone constantly apprehending him. "But don't feel bad," he added "It's your birthday today so be happy. Cheer up for yourself." Yuri smiled.

"You know what I like about you? You seem to know how to put a smile on people's faces. I like that." Yuri gazed at him. Martin looked back and diverted his attention back on the road. He felt Yuri still staring at him but he didn't mind, in fact he enjoyed it while she did. Behind the promiscuous manner of dressing, Yuri was still a little girl lost and lonely in this world. He knew she needed companionship and love. Without her aunt and Minho, who would care for her? That's why Martin was there.

"Thank you." he blurted after a long period of silence. "I appreciate that." They finally reached the city. People were busy buzzing about with their shopping bags and their work stuff. Buildings were really tall and the nightlife just got hotter. "You come here everyday?" asked Martin.

"Not really. Only when it's my schedule." Yuri said. "Otherwise, I go to the diner to work and go straight home."

The two finally reached the bar where Yuri worked. Martin dropped her off at the back door and made his way to the parking area to find a place to park. Yuri sighed and entered the dressing room where the makeup artist was waiting for her. In the dressing room, Yuri sat down and closed her eyes, hoping to get some sleep while the makeup artist worked magic on her face and hair. It didn't take the makeup artist long to get Yuri ready, though but since it was Yuri's birthday, though she told the makeup artist that it was just a special day, she asked for a little bit of beautification, something more than the usual makeup she'd apply on Yuri.

"Make me look a little bit more special." the makeup artist without question agreed. Yuri closed her eyes and allowed magic to happen. Within a matter of minutes, Yuri transformed from the typical diner waitress girl next door to a fabulous diva with big curls and natural but stunning makeup. She thanked the makeup artist and proceeded with her rehearsal. She grabbed the piece of paper that was on the table and read her song over and over again. It was a catchy pop song that called for a sexy performance.

Yuri's voice was very mediocre. It didn't ring with outstanding quality but there was a certain charisma in it that kept the customers coming back for more. Plus, the way she performed it was just downright sexy and titillating that bargoers couldn't help but stare. They don't come for her music, they come for her body and maybe get the chance to talk to her, get her drunk, and get it on with her. But to the recently turned 18 young lady, she thought it was only for her voice.

The show started at around 7:00 pm. She was the first attraction followed by a string of dancers and other singers. At exactly 7:00 pm, Martin made his way into the bar and found himself a good seat. He asked for a glass of whiskey and made himself comfortable on the couch. Yuri still wasn't on stage as she was trying to organize her thoughts and motions one last time in the dressing room. When she was ready, that's when the show started.

Everything was set. The stage was all ready, the band was all ready, the dancers were all ready. Yuri didn't dance, though she grinded and gyrated up and down. With a body like hers, complicated movements and distinct choreography weren't necessary. All she needed was a good stare and some crowd interaction.

**[song: "S&M" by Rihanna]**

The spotlights were on the curtains, allowing them to reveal a slim silhouette which could only be Yuri. She revealed her right leg and stepped slowly outside. On stage, she grabbed the microphone and began to sing sultrily. The men population of the crowd felt a little something going on down there. They had never seen Yuri that sexy. Of all her performances, this was so far the sexiest. As soon as the drums and bass got kicking, the singer got a little bit more active with some thrusting and grinding. Her backup dancers came out in outfits skimpier than hers but Yuri needed no slutty outfit to get attention. The way the spotlight magnefied her caramel skin was enough to make guys go crazy. The black dress she wore emphasized her small waist which flowed like water each time she shook them. One man couldn't control himself, went near the stage and tried to touch Yuri's legs. This angered Martin who officially claimed Yuri for himself. He wanted to grab the guy and hit him for attempting to harass his girl but he thought that it wasn't the most civil thing to do so he just let it slip. The man was able to touch Yuri's leg, though. Yuri's face showed enjoyment and arousal at the touch but inside, she was disgusted and was just begging for the song to end. She didn't want it anymore.

_Go ahead buddy, touch her all you want. Tonight, I__'m touching more and I'll have more to brag about than you!_

Remembering that it was her 18th birthday and the signal that she was now a woman, Yuri thought of letting her guard down in order to forget about her depression and to somehow make herself feel happy on her special day or shall we say night. The mocha skinned beauty stepped down from the stage and walked around the bar, trying to look for a man to seduce. Hopefully, sex was a good birthday gift. Having been raised by a conservative aunt in a peaceful, quiet village, Yuri wasn't used to the ways of promiscuousity but curiousity bit her, making her want to give it a try. Seeing no harm in it, she looked for a suitable man. She didn't want to go out of her comfort zone so he chose Martin. Martin was on the couch and Yuri sat next to him. Martin could feel himself getting all excited and hot, especially when the bridge of the song came and Yuri placed her hand on his face. The other guys just watched with jealousy while the girls watched with disgust and/or jealousy. Either way, Yuri didn't care. She was high and intoxicated with the feeling of freedom. She stood up and sat on Martin's lap, singing the remainder of the song there. Wanting to create a big impression on her very special day as a woman, she planted a French kiss on Martin's lips, taking him by surprise. The feeling was wrong and so was the deed but Martin enjoyed every minute of it. He was enjoying it too much to push her away. The drunk and horny men enjoyed it, too, not feeling any pinch of jealousy. They were even cheering for them as a matter of fact.

After the performance, Martin invited Yuri for some drinks. Yuri turned a bright shade of red and wanted to refuse, feeling awkward about the very malicious act she pulled off earlier. She knew Martin enjoyed it and though she pretended to enjoy it (she did, a bit though), she couldn't help but feel bad and sinful. She kissed an old man. An old married man. Her dead boyfriend's father. It made her feel guilty. She felt like she cheated on Minho. Nonetheless, to drown her sorrows, Yuri relied on the alcohol.

"Thanks so much for the drink." she thanked Martin shyly. Martin noticed that she had her head down in shame. He raised her head by her chin and said,

"No need to feel ashamed of what you did. It was art for art's sake." Martin smiled the smile of a father comforting his daughter.

"But you-"

"No. I'm not angry with you." he smiled. "I'm far from angry with you."

"Thank you so much for your consideration. I swear to you it will never happen again. I promise to keep my distance. It's just that, I was too lost in the moment to actually think about what I was doing. Performing can be fun, you know."

"Yes I know that. I think you should be more in control of your actions. Mind before body and heart, Yuri."

"Yes. I agree with you." she smiled at him and looked down. "Say, you want another glass?"

"Definitely!"

"Let's order more." Yuri called for a waiter and gave him their orders. Pretty soon, their table was full of bottles and glasses. They were both drunk and in order to stay safe, Martin decided to just check in at a motel.

"Motel? But I have to go home! I have work tomorrow!" Yuri said.

"Yuri, I'm too drunk to drive."

"I'll drive."

"You don't know what you're saying. You're kinda tipsy, too. Plus you're tired. Let's just check in at the motel, okay?"

"Alright." Left with no choice, Yuri went with Martin to the motel. The motel was sort of near the bar but definitely not walking distance. Even if it was, Martin wouldn't let this fair lass walk in the city all by herself in a sexy black number, drunk, and tired.

[AT THE MOTEL]

Yuri and Martin arrived in their motel room. There was only one bed and a sofa. Martin thought of sleeping on the sofa and letting the birthday girl sleep on the bed but dirty thoughts ran into his drunk mind and drunk state.

"You get the bed. I get the sofa." Martin said. He didn't have actually because Yuri collapsed on the bed as soon as they got in the room. Fatigue, drunkeness, and depression ate her up and it knocked her to sleep immediately. Martin looked at her body and decided she was divine. Wanting to touch her one more time, he arranged her body on the bed and tucked her in. Martin knelt next to bed as if he was praying and stared at Yuri. Yuri's curls were all messy, her mascara was all over her face, she was missing an earing and she was still in her dress. Martin thought of undressing her and getting her into a bathrobe but that would just be all too tempting. Having her in that would be much better. Besides, she looked beautiful in a haggard state anyways. Feeling pretty sleepy himself, Martin walked over to the couch and laid down, falling asleep in a matter of seconds.

At around 3:00 am, Martin woke up. He found himself unable to sleep knowing that Yuri was just there, sleeping on the bed. He spent quite a long time looking at Yuri's body before leaving the motel room.

But why was he leaving?

Because Martin was a pedophile at large and he had some issues to take care of.

Even at as early as 3:00 am, there were a lot of people on the streets. With Martin's homely and fatherly looks, nobody suspected anything. He looked for some possible victims or homes that he could break into. He saw this one apartment that had its lights on. Sensing that there were people in that aparment, Martin got in gear and climbed the walls of the apartment. Before breaking in, he spied on the residents first. Sure enough, they were women but they looked a bit older than 15. Nonetheless, if it meant getting his testosterone racing, then why fucking not? Martin took them by surprise and broke into their house through the windows. Nobody heard the screams because even at 3:00 am, the city was very busy.

All this time, Yuri was oblivious.


	8. Chapter 8

Yuri woke up the following morning and found Martin lying beside her with his arm around her waist. She quickly moved it without making a sound though she really wanted to express her disgust.

_I slept with Martin? How drunk was I?_ Yuri started to feel all spinny and dizzy from last night. She quickly stood up and ran to the bathroom to get dressed when she remembered that she didn't have any dresses with her. All she had was the dress on her body and the shoes on her feet.

"Dammit!" she muttered under her breath. First she kissed him then she slept with him. Yuri could sense something wrong already. She pranced around the room, thinking of what to do. She could no longer spend time with Martin, feeling extremely disrespectful and awkward towards him. She couldn't stand the sight of him, his scent, his presence. Things just got really complicated between him and her as far as she was concerned. Yuri walked to the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. Her mouth fell to the floor when she saw how much she had changed. Before she had her hair neatly kept, she always remembered to remove her makeup before going to bed, and she always dressed neatly. Now she looked like a wasted prostitute and even felt like one after sleeping with a man old enough to be her father.

"Yuri! Yuri!" he began to call for her with his raspy dad voice. Martin tried to get up but found himself struggling with the sheets. Yuri just wanted to disappear in shame. She locked herself in the bathroom and tried to wash the makeup off her face and hopefully straighten the curls out. Yuri splashed some water on her face in an effort to calm her nerves but Martin's mere presence only made her situation worse.

"Yuri! Are you there?" he called once more.

"I'm here in the bathroom. I'm washing my face. I'll be out in a while." Yuri answered.

"Yuri, we're going home now! Hurry up!" Yuri finally washed the makeup off her face and slowly exited the bathroom, gently closing the door behind her. Martin saw her in all her natural form, without the makeup and all and he decided that she was the most beautiful girl in the world. He would have her one day, he thought.

"I'm here. Sorry I'm a mess." Martin nodded and led her out of the room. Yuri bowed and walked with her head down. Martin closed the door behind him, walking with Yuri all the way to the reception room. As Martin was checking out, Yuri sat on the small couch the motel had in front of the reception table. After checking out, Martin led Yuri to his car.

"Thanks again for last night." she said. "That was the best birthday I've had."

"Welcome to the adult world." Martin said with a wink.

"Thank you. I really appreciate that." Yuri said avoiding his stare. Martin drives back home and parks the car in his garage. He steps out of the car and looks to his left and right with hints of paranoia, as if he was watching out for something or someone. He carefully entered the house that he now lived in alone, not feeling the slightest pang of nostalgia for his son. Martin actually forgot that Minho was dead and was really close to calling him out. Then it hit him.

_Oh yeah. My son__'s dead already._ Martin let out a deep sigh, a sigh that could only come from someone who's missing a loved one. He took out the keys from his pocket and used it to open the door. Once inside, he looked around for any sign of paranormal activity or anything unusual, maybe a police team was hiding in his room waiting for him to come in before arresting him. Sensing that nothing was wrong, he sat in front of the television and turned it on, hoping to watch some good sitcoms. His conscience began to bug him, telling him he didn't care enough about his son's death and even had it in him to celebrate his girlfriend's birthday when he should be planning for his son's funeral. He finally gave in to his conscience and called up his wife.

"Hello, Jane."

"Martin? What do you want?"

"I don't know if you've heard but our son died in an accident."

"WHAT?" Jane cried out loud. She nearly dropped the telephone in shock. "M-Minho? Died? Is this some kind of a joke?"

"I'm afraid not."

"When did he die?"

"Just a few days ago."

Jane broke down on the phone. Martin remained emotionless.

"Why? What did he die of?"

"His motorcycle got hit hard by a truck and it sent him flying all the way to a tree." Jane cried even more at the gruesomeness of his death.

"Have you started planning?"

"That's why I called you up. So we can start talking about our son's funeral. So suck it up, come on over, and we'll talk here." Martin said, obviously annoyed with his estranged wife's crying.

A few hours later, Jane arrived at Martin's house and hurriedly rang the doorbell, repeatedly.

"YES! YES! I'LL BE RIGHT OUT!" Martin walked over to the door. He was busy hiding the pornographic envelope when Jane came. He opened the door and greeted his wife with a fake, sympathetic smile. Jane noticed his this and acknowledged it, refusing to have any bodily contact with him. She entered his house and sat on the sofa, her handkerchief pressed on her nose and her mouth. She had been crying since their conversation and cried while driving. Now, she was on the brink of crying again.

"Oh my poor Minho. My poor, poor Minho!" she sobbed. Martin wanted to touch her but he knew how sensitive she was to his touch. She always felt awkward towards him touching her so instead of comforting her with touch, he comforted her with his words instead.

"Minho's in a better place now. He'll be fine in the hands of God."

"But it could have been avoided! What the hell was my son doing biking on the highway?" Martin remained silent and just let his wife release all her emotions.

"Where were you then? Why didn't you stop him from biking. It must've been nighttime because he could've seen it. If only I were there, if only I lived with Minho, I wouldn't allow him to go biking on the highway, especially at night." Jane continued to sob.

"I'm a bad parent, I get it."

"No I am. I shouldn't have let Minho stay with you. Not keeping him was my decision and so I am partly responsible for his death." Martin could care less.

"So let's just plan the funeral, okay? We're gonna invite all the people that touched Minho's life. All the people that were there for him from the start so that includes us, and Yuri…"

"Yuri?"

"His girlfriend."

"He had a girlfriend and I didn't even know about it!"

"You never called to check on him." Jane fell silent at the mention of her own fault. She simply nodded and wiped her tears with her soggy white handkerchief. Martin looked at her and studied her face. Yes, she was sad alright. The circles under her eyes were a pale shade of red, her nose was really red, and her cheeks were blushing. The memories of when he and his wife were together flashed back before his very eyes. He remembered everything they had and everything they went through from the day he met her. He remembered them all and shoved them at the back of his mind. Why? Because he felt nothing for her. Right now, this woman to him was like a funeral house client who was crying nonstop over the death of some rebellious 17 year old punk who lashed out on his father after seeing a few porno shots and left the house for a little drinking only to find out that he was never coming back. All this meant nothing to Martin. The only thing that he needed was sex, rape, and Yuri.

Martin's head snapped back into reality and he actually didn't know that he stared into space for far too long. He only realized it when Jane snapped her fingers in front of him twice.

"Sorry, what were you saying?" Martin asked. Jane repeated her funeral plans, the arrangements, the expenses, the embalming and whatnot.

"So I'm going to pay for all this? Because I'm the responsible one, right?"

"Yes. But I'm going to give you some money so your bank account, your very big bank account won't cry." Jane said coldly in between deep breaths. When all was sorted out, Jane brought up the topic about Minho's girlfriend.

"So Minho had a girlfriend?" asked Jane.

"Yes."

"Where is this girlfriend of his?"

"She lives a few houses away from this house. Would you like me to bring her over."

"Tell her to come over tomorrow."

"Will you come tomorrow?"

"No. I assume you have a guest room with all your riches. So kindly please allow me to sleep there."

"Deal." Martin and Jane stood from where they were seated. He led Jane to her room and left her alone to think there. Martin on the other hand had other business to take care of. He needed to talk to Yuri. Martin leaves the house and walks over to the pleasant looking peach house over at the end of their street and rang the doorbell. Out came the beautiful maiden in a simple white dress with her hair let down, a far cry from the way she looked earlier that day with a slinky black number and a lot of makeup.

"Good day. What brings you here?" asked Yuri.

"I just want to talk to you." Martin confessed, rubbing his nape.

"Oh. Alright. I made some carrot and banana muffins if you'd like a bite."

"That would be nice. I just want to talk right now. It's about Minho." Yuri's beautiful morning smile faded away at the sound of her ex-lover's name.

"Come in." she invited him. Martin entered her house and waited for her in the dining room. Yuri was fetching the freshly baked carrot and banana muffins. She emerged from the kitchen with a tray full of them and set them down on the table. Martin looked at them and returned his gaze at Yuri.

"You made those?" Yuri nodded, taking her mittens off.

"I did. Go ahead, get one." Yuri pulled herself a chair and sat in front of him, watching him as he took a bite of the carrot muffin. Martin grinned and nodded his head in approval of it. It was good.

"You're a really good baker. You should make these often."

"Glad you liked them." Yuri said. "So what did you come here for?"

"See, my wife is in town. We just discussed Minho's funeral and we were talking about people to invite and I just had to bring you up because you particularly touched Minho. You were his girlfriend right before he died. You were his last and by far the only woman he loved truly despite of the many that came into his life. My wife wants to meet you so if it's okay with you, I'd like to invite you over for dinner." Martin explained, pretending to be suffocating with grief.

"I'd love to meet your wife. I think she's a good person. You two raised Minho well." Yuri said.

"Thank you for recognizing our efforts to rear our son. But I guess you wouldn't say that we're good parents now."

"Don't say that." Yuri took his hand and gave him a tap on the shoulder.

"You know what," Martin started. "You are by far the only teenage girl that I really see as a friend. I never felt as comfortable with any of Minho's ex-girlfriends the way I feel comfortable with you. It seems as if we have a connection. I love the way you comfort me and I enjoy being there for you when you need me. I'm really glad that I met you. A young friend to keep me young." Yuri found this awkward but as a gesture of respect, she bowed down to Martin and acknowledged his compliment.

"I appreciate that." Yuri said once more. "Would you like me to bring more muffins for you and your wife later?"

"That would be beautiful." Martin said. In his head, though, he was thinking of all the dirty things he would be doing to Yuri if he had the chance to rape her.

[LATER THAT NIGHT]

Yuri came over and rang the doorbell. She was received by Martin who had been waiting for her with his wife before eating dinner. She wore a pretty floral patterned dress and had her hair up in a bun with a few loose strands on the sides. Martin thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world and he would kill to have her by his side.

"You look very lovely." he said.

"Thank you." in her hands was a Tupperware container with muffins inside. She handed it to him and said, "As promised."

"Come inside, my dear." Yuri walked slowly into his house and was met by the sight of his wife, Jane. Jane smiled at her as a way of acknowledging her presence.

"Good evening." said Jane.

"Good evening." Yuri bowed.

"Take a seat now so we can start." Yuri pulled a chair and sat down next to Jane. She was seated in front of Martin.

"Where are you from?" asked Jane.

"P-Pusan." Yuri stuttered.

"Hmm. You've been here for some time?"

"Yes."

"Well, sensing that you are a good girl, we would like to invite you to Minho's funeral. I hope you can make it."

"I will. Minho was a good man to me. There's nothing bad I can say about him." Jane was touched with what Yuri had said.

After dinner, Yuri helped Jane clean up the table and before she sent her home, Jane had a few words for Yuri at the doorstep.

"You are a very beautiful young girl." she said with all sincerity. "You have to take care of yourself. A beauty like you is hard to find." Yuri's brows furrowed with wonder at the woman's words.

"Thank you." she said, shoving the desire to question the lady's intentions to the back of her head.

"I bet you're probably wondering why I said that." Yuri spun around to face Jane.

"Well…"

"Just heed my words." Jane closed the door on Yuri and sent her off. Yuri slowly walked away from the house, slightly creeped out by what Jane had said. She began to think this over and wonder…

_Was it a warning? _

[AT MINHO'S FUNERAL]

Everyone was there. Minho's friends, classmates, relatives, his parents, and of course, Yuri. Yuri was dressed in a simple black dress, not bothering to exert any effort in dressing up. Why make yourself look pretty if the guy you usually look pretty for is dead? That was her principle at the time. In the funeral house, all of Minho's dear loved ones were crying and talking about how Minho was when he was living. Since Yuri's friends couldn't make it to his funeral, Yuri opted to just sit quietly with Minho's parents. None of Minho's classmates wanted to talk to her not because they hated her but because they felt that she needed some time for herself. Her love affair with Minho was no secret. Her personal life wasn't so secret either. They knew her hardships and how Minho was the only person who gave life to her when all just seemed dead. Losing Minho was like losing more than half of her life, according to them. So while the youngsters chatted, Yuri took a good look at the coffin where Minho lay.

"He was a good man. And I screwed us up. He was all I needed, all I wanted. And I let him go. I don't deserve to be loved by another. If it's not Minho, let me die alone." Yuri solemnly swore to herself while glancing at his coffin. Seeing him all stitched up and white and presumably cold, Yuri couldn't help but cry. She didn't sob uncontrollably, though. She just let the tears flow from her eyes without a sound escaping from her thin, beautiful lips that were pale now painted red. Yuri's teardrops fell on the glass of the coffin. Nobody noticed this and since she was totally ignored at the funeral, she continued to let these silent, painful tears fall on the glass above her lover's body. Over and over she uttered his name in what seemed like a soft whimper for help and a silent call brought about by longing. Yuri's life couldn't get any worse.

"I'm sorry…" she whispered. Yuri leaned forward and kissed the glass, smearing it with her lipstick before walking back to where his parents were seated. Yuri looked like a daughter to Martin and Jane when she sat in between them. People continued talking and talking about Minho's life and when their words filled Yuri's heart and mind, she broke down and cried. Jane and Martin looked at her surprisedly and exerted every effort to comfort Yuri. Even Minho's classmates saw her crying and needless to say, their heart went out to her. Yuri loved Minho so much.

"I regret everything." Yuri muttered with her hands covering her face and her hair all messed up. "I regret fighting with him. Even during his last days, I wasn't able to make up for all that I lacked. I wasn't able to apologize. He died knowing that I was angry at him and he's gonna bring that to Heaven. He thought I never forgave him but I did. I never hated him. I love Minho…God! What I'd give to bring him back to life. He's all that I have…" Yuri cried out all her frustrations and regrets amongst a crowd of teenagers comforting her.

"Minho's in a better place now," said his best friend Taemin. "You don't have to worry about it. Besides, he's looking down on you from Heaven saying, 'That's my girl! That's my girl and I love her'."

"It's not that…"Yuri sniffed and wiped some of her tears with a handkerchief. "It's just that I have so many regrets. I have so many things to tell him that I've not told him yet. I can't bear the pain of seeing him in that coffin about to be buried 6 feet deep." Taemin and the rest of the class hugged Yuri. They pulled away after a few minutes and remained for a while to comfort her.

After the service, Yuri stayed with Martin and Jane. Yuri was somewhat stable but often broke out uncontrollably. Jane held her while Martin finalized some things with the funeral parlor owner. As soon as he was done, he walked with his wife and Yuri back to the car. Jane held Yuri in her arms while walking to the car. Martin sat in the driver's seat while Yuri sat beside him. Jane resorted to the backseat. Due to exhaustion and grief, Jane and Yuri fell asleep while Martin continued driving. Jane didn't fall asleep for long, she kept on waking and waking but on one of her waking episodes, she caught Martin touching Yuri's thighs. So as not to startle Yuri and to avoid accidents, she lightly tapped Martin's hand.

"Here you go again! Stop that!" she said in between gritted teeth.

"I'm just comforting the girl!" Martin defended.

"That's no way to comfort an 18 year old girl. Now keep your hands on the wheel." Martin glinted his eyes at her and drove on.

Upon reaching Yuri's house, Jane woke her up and walked her to the doorstep.

"You take care of yourself now. You're a young woman, you should know how to handle this." Jane gave Yuri a hug and led her to the living room before leaving. Yuri was about to close the door when Jane blocked it with her arm.

"Words of wisdom, be careful and take care." Jane said. "Don't trust anyone." Being quite naïve and unable to concentrate at the time, Yuri just nodded and smiled weakly at Jane. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, too." Yuri closed the door and went to her room. Jane went back to their car as Martin drove home for them to retire for the night.


	9. Chapter 9

Nights at Haebaragi village were usually peaceful. Especially at midnight, the only noise you'd hear were the crickets and the wind. As for the residents of that particular subdivision, since the night was cold and quiet, it was very easy for them to fall into a deep sleep. So deep that the heaviest noise couldn't wake them up. That made it easy for Ban Joo Seok, the Predator to sneak into houses and rape girls. He did it every night and had not yet been caught. Police were aware of his activites and had tried every single strategy to catch him but to no avail. He was totally uncatchable.

That very night, he snuck into three houses and raped all the young female residents in each house. Ban Joo Seok seemed to have a thing for young girls, now don't he? Pity on the young girls, they were never heard. They were knocked out with noxious gas first before being sexually molested in their sleep and then killed.

The following morning, Yuri got up looking more tired and sickly than usual. Maybe it was because of Minho's death and the events that transpired, with her wild birthday and her night out with Minho's father. For the first time in her life, Yuri found herself hating on herself. She blamed herself for Minho's death. She had been crying since last night and today, there was no doubt she would cry again.

Yuri wanted to go to work but thought that she was physically and emotionally unprepared. She might not be able to take orders properly or bring food on the customers' tables so she decided that it was a good idea to skip working at the diner (and at the bar) and just sleep all day.

Until her phone rang.

"Hello?" Yuri said with a groggy, raspy voice.

"Yuri, this is Martin. Come on over for breakfast."

"Martin? Why are you asking me to come over?" Yuri asked, starting to become wary of Martin's activities.

"Nothing. I just want to talk to you."

"Martin, your wife is there. It's kind of awkward. You should spend time with her."

"Well if you really insist." Martin noted the apprehensive tone of Yuri's voice. "Are you going to work today?"

"No." Yuri said. "Before you put down the phone, let me ask you a question."

"What?"

"Does your wife know that you're talking to me?"

"My wife is in the shower. She's leaving in a few minutes." Martin answered.

"Does she know that you talk to me often?"

"No." that's when Yuri hung up. Martin called for her name over and over but got no answer.

Jane was done getting ready and bade Martin goodbye without a kiss. She waited infront of their house for a taxi cab to come by and when one came, she got on it without taking a second look at Martin and his house. She left with a sad memory in her heart. Then all of a sudden, she remembered Minho's girlfriend Yuri.

_I just hope she's _careful_. I just hope she heeds my warning. That man is a dangerous beast._

Yuri stayed in her room all day long, lying on the bed only getting up to drink a glass of water or orange juice. She recalled all the times she and Minho spent together and all the promises Minho made. Promises like he would stay with her til college and they would get married, have 2 or 3 children and live far, far away from their miserable lives to start anew and provide good lives for their future children. Yuri cried at the thought of this. She cried at the thought that Minho, her first love, died. They say first love never dies but hers just did. What's even more painful was the fact that Yuri, with the full knowledge that Minho was dead, still celebrated her birthday getting drunk and with her lover's father getting all trashy and horny. Yuri felt dirty and it made her not want to see Martin anymore.

But something about Martin drew her to him. She wasn't sure what but there was something about that man that was so enticing that no matter how hard she tried to convince herself that he was just a father figure, she kept on feeling as if he was more than that. She enjoyed his company and loved the friendly father-daughter like relationship that they shared prior to Minho's death and her birthday but after her birthday, she began to feel strange towards him.

At some time around 11:30 am, Martin heard his doorbell ring. He walked calmly to the door to receive it and received a huge surprise.

It was Yuri.

"What are you doing here?"

"Nothing. I just want to talk to you and maybe have lunch here. If that's okay with you?"

"Of course it is."

"Sides, I could use some comforting."

"I see you're stilll missing Minho."

"Right."

"Come with me. I'll just fix us some lunch, alright?"

"Yeah." Yuri sat on the sofa and changed the channel. Then, a particular channel caught her eye. It was a boring news channel but what really made her stop there was that Haebaragi village was the feature story. The news was about a serial rapist within the village going from house to house raping teenage girls. Yuri began to feel chills down her spine and goosebumps pop up on her skin. Martin overheard the news and began to feel his heart racing. Choosing to play innocent, he came out of the kitchen with the tuna casserole in hand and warned Yuri.

"You better be careful, Yuri. That guy could be anywhere."

"God. I thought this place was safe."

"No place is safe if a mad man's on the loose." Yuri looked at him with frightened doe eyes.

"Say, you live alone, don't you?" Yuri nodded.

"Yes."

"You better stay with me for a while. From now on, I'm walking you to your house." Yuri nodded, feeling safer in Martin's company. Sometimes as awkward as it may be to hang out with him, it could feel safe, too.

After lunch, Martin decided to do some fixing upstairs while Yuri stayed downstairs in the living room with her eyes glued on the TV. Deciding that watching TV was borning, Yuri turned it off and got up, walking around the house to take a better look at the place she was in. She tried to familiarize herself with the house that her 'father figure' lived in. Sure enough there were lots of picture frames, most of which were Minho's pictures. From his childhood days up to the very recent one. There were pictures of Martin hanging on the walls, too. His diplomas along with Minho's medals and other diplomas hung on the walls as well. Yuri studied them all. She decided to go to the other living room to check it out. In there were just couches and some coffee tables. Yuri wondered, though, why was it so dark in there. Knowing this, she turned on a lamp. But one thing in particular caught her attention and made her curiosity work. It was an envelope. A big envelope. Yuri wondered what it was and since boredom and curiosity were at play here, Yuri couldn't help but pick the brown envelope up and check its contents. Her clumsy hands let go of the envelope just when she was about to get what was inside and out spilled the contents.

And with it spilled shock and disgust.

Pornographic pictures. Child porn. Young girls. Young boys. All those from the envelope. Yuri covered her mouth with her hand and repeatedly shook her head in shock. She couldn't believe what she was seeing with her own eyes. Whose were these? Were they Minho's? Impossible! Minho would never do such a thing…

Or were they Martin's.

Checkmate! They were Martin's. And Yuri couldn't believe what she was seeing. How could the man who treated her like his daughter have something like this? How could the man who treated her and showed her a good time on her birthday be interested in something as disgusting, inhumane, and tasteless as this? Martin Yoon was into child pornography? And if that wasn't enough, Yuri also found some pornographic magazines on the lower rack of the table. No wonder the room was dark! Martin was hiding something all along. Minho's words to Yuri flashed back. She recalled all the things he said about his father and why she should avoid him. She even thought of what Jane had said about her being careful.

Those words. Solved the mystery. Martin was a pedophile.

But what was Minho saying about Martin going around 'breaking into houses'?

Of course! Because Martin was the Haebaragi village rapist.

If he really was the rapist, why did he ask Yuri to stay in his house and stay safe?

Simple. He wanted to victimize Yuri! He wanted to catch Yuri in his trap. He knew that Yuri was virginal and friendly with him so that would make her easy prey. But now that his secret had been revealed, Yuri knew she needed to get out of here before he stops her. Wasting no time, she put the magazines down and ran out of the house. Martin was upstairs when he heard the door slam shut and jumped out of his skin. He wondered what was happening downstairs and was filled with worry. Worry not for Yuri but for his porno collection. Maybe Yuri had gone on a little tour around his house and stumbled upon his collection.

He was right. And he didn't have to check downstairs to prove it.

Yuri went running like mad out of his house and when she was only a few feet away from her house, she tripped and scabbed her knee. Luckily, nobody saw her so she was able to get back on her feet without the humiliation and run to her house. As soon as she got in, she double locked the door and leaned on it, allowing her back to slide down and herself to sit on the floor. Yuri panted and panted. She felt cold and clammy and all she wanted to do right now was to sleep. The incident scared her and weakened her all at the same time. Minho was right all along! And she refused to believe him!

_But if his father__'s a pedophile, why did he live with him in the first place? He should've stayed with his mother._

Because he's a guy! Minho's a guy that's why he stayed with his dad. He tried for so long to curb his father's addiction to pornography, namely child pornography which was the main reason why his parents divorced. Yuri remembered Minho coming to her one day at school telling her how he witnessed his mother being forced to have sex with Martin and because she didn't want to get hurt, she just gave in to his desires. All of Minho's stories came back to Yuri in an instant. When Minho was younger, his father became a sex addict and an avid porno magazine collector. His mother knew about this and so did he but when his father was really, really into it, he didn't understand the concept of sex for sale yet. Oftentimes his father would jack off to pictures of naked men and women, girls and boys severely disturbing and worrying his mother. She tried to divorce him once but Martin begged her not to leave him. Jane was kind and giving so she gave him another chance. Martin somewhat lessened his pornographic escapades but resorted to online porn on his laptop instead. Jane never knew about this until Minho, who was around 14 at the time, was playing around on his dad's computer with his mom watching over him and accidentally clicked on the porno site. Jane was greatly apalled and this led to a bloody confrontation between husband and wife. Martin tried to beg off, saying that it was every guy's nature but Jane refused to buy it. Her mind was all made up. She was getting a divorce and she was taking Minho with her. That's when Martin turned violent. He began to hurt Jane and threaten her with a gun if she dared leave him and/or take his son away. Jane, though strong in terms of language, was weak in the face of a wrathful Martin. She agreed to stay with him and share Minho, too. Until Minho got older and the porn addiction became stronger. At age 16, Minho told his mother to divorce his father. Jane agreed and said she would take him with her but Minho refused saying that he would rather stay with his father as he would be the one to curb Martin's porn addiction. He made a promise to his mother that he would straighten out his father for good but for her sake since she was a woman and she was getting hurt more than Minho was, he had to send her away. Jane agreed and gave her full trust to her 17 year old son and separated from her husband. Whenever Martin got violent, Minho would get in the way and was always successful in making his father stop. Minho grew to be a strong, tall young man who could equal his father.

But then Minho's life was cut short. And with Jane away, there was no one to stop Martin.

Yuri could see everything coming together now. It's all crystal clear! Martin was the Haebaragi rapist. It was very obvious! The violent nature, the porn addiction, what Minho saw one night. It was Martin, without a doubt! Add in Jane's frequent warnings whenever they parted. Yuri knew she was the next victim so she planned on staying awake that night.

[THAT NIGHT]

Martin was in a rage to find his porno collection and pictures all scattered. He knew it was Yuri who did this and she had to pay. Tonight, he planned on breaking into her house and doing what he did to the other girls to her, only this time, more orgasmic. Martin was really into Yuri. He had a great crush on her from the day Minho introduced her to him. What he couldn't forget was their wild night out. Well this time, it was Martin's turn to have fun.

Yuri slept not a wink that night, sitting on the edge of her bed looking out the window. With her was a cleaver knife, ever ready for some stabbing. If it was possible, Yuri wouldn't blink at all. She just looked straight and at times left and right, never leaving her spot. Staying alert was her best weapon and she needed all the strength she had if she was gonna fight Martin. Yuri waited for a man in black to come passing by, climbing from wall to wall. Sure enough, there was a black shadow running on the other side of the street, crossing over to her house. Yuri readied her digital camera, charging its batteries. She took the cleaver knife and leaned against the door.

"Yuri. Yuri, sweetie. Come out come out wherever you are! I know what you did! I can never forgive you for that." said the voice. Yuri, though determined to end this cycle of malicious terror,could feel her heart beating right out of her chest. Martin turned on the lights on the second floor, making it easier for him to spot her so Yuri needed to be as quiet and as swift as possible. This wasn't an easy task. Killing an armed and dangerous perverted killer wasn't an easy task. It needed a lot of power and concentration and right now, Yuri could slowly feel her power waning down. It was nighttime, she was tired and depressed and feeling sleepy. But she knew she mustn't give up. It was for her own sake. For all the girls who still hadn't been touched. It was for Minho who tried so hard to straighten his father out. The stairs were laden with heavy footsteps, like the Yeti's. Yuri was sure the footsteps could be heard from inside her head and heart so she tightened her grip on the cleaver knife. Just as Martin got on the second floor, Yuri gripped the cleaver knife so tightly that it was as if her hands were stuck permanently on it. She leaned harder against the door, as if her small frame could stop his huge built from breaking in.

"I know you're in here!" Martin kicked the bathroom door open and clenched his knife tightly. Yuri heard it and tried not to scream though her heart practically jumped out of her throat. Martin saw that the room was empty so he walked around some more. Knowing that her camera was fully charged, Yuri swiftly took it and removed the flash. Martin wasn't wearing a mask that night, maybe because he wanted Yuri to know his deep dark secret. Like a brave detective, Yuri emerged quietly from her bedroom as Martin turned his back on her room's direction. She walked towards him in a crouched position with the camera and took a picture of him. Martin didn't notice and he continued moving around. He was about to turn around so Yuri scrambled to her room and hid once more. She wanted to get more shots but it was a really hard task to accomplish and she couldn't find the right timing. That was when she noticed that she had a light switch in her room that was connected to the light bulb outside, the one that Martin turned on and it manipulated it. So in order to go undetected, Yuri would have to turn this light off. And so she did. The second floor was in total darkness.

"What the? What the hell was that? Yuri? If that's you come out now! You know it's wrong to mess with other people's property! You have been a very bad girl! And you deserve an equally bad treatment." Martin warned. He couldn't see anything as the floor was pitch dark. Yuri took this opportunity to crawl out of her room with her camera. She adjusted the flash and tried to take a few pictures. Since there was flash, Martin spun around and when Yuri sensed this, she sat down and pulled knees up to her chest, trying to appear as small and unnoticable as possible. Sure enough, Martin didn't notice her. He knew probably that the flash was coming from the right, Yuri's direction so he had his face turned to that side. Yuri seized this opportunity to take a picture of his face. With the flashing camera, she was able to snap a shot of his deceiving fatherly face at night trying to rape her. With the picture she wanted, Yuri stood up and turned the lights on when she felt warm air against her face, as if someone was breathing breaths of rage on her. She knew it was Martin so she tightened her grip on the cleaver she had in her hand and tried to remain as calm and as motionless as possible. She tried to make out shapes in the dark as her vision was better than his. She saw something long above her with something sharp at the end, that's when she knew it was his arm raised above her, with a knife in hand. Yuri placed her cleaver knife right before her stomach, ready to aim it at Martin's balls. With a silent yet deep breath of bravery, Yuri took a picture of Martin and just when Martin was about to stab her, she slid down and sat on the floor quickly , making him stab the wall. She hastily stabbed his balls and felt a great ooze on her hands and legs. Yuri quickly turned the lights on and saw that she had stabbed Martin to the point of paralysis. She dropped the cleaver knife and took more pictures, ran downstairs and rushed to Martin's house. Good thing the house was unlocked! It enabled her to break in easily and gather the porno paraphernalia. Yuri rushed back home and together with the pictures and the porno stuff, she grabbed her phone and called for the cops. The cops came on time and investigated the matter.

What happened next?

Martin suffered from bleeding balls and had to be treated. All the evidences were studied and sure enough, he was the killer. After a few months, Martin was jailed for murder and child porn charges.

[ 1 YEAR LATER]

Yuri is now 19 years old. She has given up her job as a singer at the Bar and still works at Jin's Eats as a waitress. She has gone back to school and is doing great in her studies. She hopes to pursue a career in Forensic Science. She has lived in peace ever since…

One day, while working at Jin's Eats, Yuri receives a call from an unknown number. Puzzled, she answers it with apprehension.

"Hello Yuri." says a familiar voice. "How is everything, sweetie? Do you still remember me?"

Yuri drops the phone and her life spins into a crazy tornado once more.


End file.
